The Children�s Place Helps Kristin and Son Restart Their Lives

Kristin and Zion�s Situation

Kristin is a single mom with HIV. After Kristin�s son, Zion, was born, she returned to work quickly as possible to maintain her family health insurance benefits. Devastatingly, Kristin�s husband had an addiction problem that spiraled out of control.  He was unable to hold down a job. He was abusive. He stayed home with the baby every day, and got high at night. Often he would come home and fall into a deep stupor. Sometimes Kristin was unable to wake him in the morning. And he was Kristin�s day care. 

To compensate, Kristen often used sick days to provide the day care. Her workdays lost to his habit knocked the family even further into poverty. This cycle exhausted Kristen mentally and physically. Compounded by the HIV, Kristin�s health suffered more.  

One night, after being beaten, choked and threatened by her husband, Kristin fled her house�no coat, no bag, no money, just her son wrapped in a blanket.  She flagged down a police car and they were taken to a domestic violence shelter.   

Afterwards, Kristin found a substandard and depressing home daycare. It was the only one on the social worker�s list for a child under 6 months.  It cost $600 a month. More than half her rent. Fully half of Kristin�s paycheck. Zion stayed there for 2 months.  There were 20 kids and only 2 caregivers.  All the kids were confined to two rooms.   It was dark and depressing.  The house felt dirty.   Often, at the day�s end, he had a soaked diaper.  Once he got a virus that landed him in the hospital after 2 weeks of fever and diarrhea.  

How The Children�s Place Helped

At Children�s Memorial Hospital Kristin learned of The Children�s Place and quickly made an appointment.

When staff counselor Janet Meyers at the Children�s Place placed Kristin on the waiting list, a wave of relief washed over her. �The center was so beautiful, clean, safe.  The staff�helpful, professional, friendly,� said Kristin. �I cried.� 

�The Children�s Place has made a huge difference in of our lives. My son enrolled in the daycare program and we were assigned a caseworker who helped us with �food, clothes, and counseling,� said Kristin. �The full time nurse helped coordinate treatment with my son�s doctors at Children�s Memorial for a condition that he developed due to AZT exposure in utero. In addition, the Children�s Place also provided me access to legal advice to gain full custody of my son and respite care so I could take classes to earn more at work.�        

Kristin and Zion Today

Today, Kristin no longer has need for a caseworker. Zion is happy, healthy. Kristin has a good a job and married a wonderful husband in July 2003.  

�Children�s Place has been the bridge that got me through a dark place to a bright new world,� says Kristin.