Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking

As many as 50% of the families coming to Homestretch cite domestic violence as a significant contributing factor in their homelessness. The number of women in our region who are deciding that they are fed up with the abuse at the hands of their abusers is growing, and many of them, once they flee, have no other place to go than a family shelter. From these shelters, many of the women, with their children in tow, come to Homestretch. Most of these families have left with little more than a few bags of clothes.

In addition, Homestretch is seeing an increase in the number of homeless women and children who have been human trafficked. Many of these women are from countries where English is not their first language, and acclimation to American culture, along with recovery from their trauma, requires a lot of special care.

Once in Homestretch, the following services are offered to these victims of domestic abuse and human trafficking:

• Subsidized and furnished housing in a location that is unknown to the abuser, and in a community where he is likely not to find her;
• Enrollment of the children in a new school or child care provider unknown to the abuser, and ongoing support for the children in their new school;
• Legal services, including protective orders and representation;
• Safety planning;
• Immediate relocation in safer locations if the abuser discovers her whereabouts;
• Psychotherapy for mother and children;
• Peer support groups;
• Domestic violence education classes;
• Health and wellness groups;
• Financial literacy education (individual and group);
• Employment assistance;
• Micro-loans;
• ESL classes;
• Transportation assistance;
• Child care assistance.

Women entering Homestretch due to domestic violence are welcome to partake of the myriad of other services offered, including GED tutoring, credit counseling, academic tutoring, access to medical care, and help with applications and scholarships for continuing education or vocational training programs.

Homestretch partners with a wide variety of agencies and organizations to provide as complete a series of services as possible to domestic violence survivors. These include the Center for Multi-Cultural Services, Tahirah Justice Center, the Women’s Center, the Women’s Shelter, FAITH, Falls Church and Fairfax County Police, and more.