No parent should have to raise their child without a safe place to call home. Thousands of families experiencing the heartbreaking struggle of homelessness. Thanks to Shelter’s support, Natalie and Tia now have a secure social rent home, but there are still far too many children in the UK who don’t have this stability. Our plea’s simple: help us help them. For every donation you make, we’ll match it. Together, we can give the gift of hope and home this Christmas. Donate now >> https://lnkd.in/eYUqWK4b #HomeForChristmas #SupportShelter #Christmas
‘You're supposed to be all happy and content when you’re a new mum. But it's hard when you don't have a home to take your child back to.’ What is it like to try and raise a child while homeless, living in temporary accommodation? Natalie, who lost her home when her daughter Tia was just three months old, has shared her story as part of Shelter’s winter appeal to raise awareness. Natalie believes living in cramped conditions, negatively affected Tia’s development. ‘Tia was crawling, walking a little bit by this point. But she would have walked a lot quicker if we weren't such in a cramped space. If we had more space and there wasn't hazardous things around her, she would have walked a lot quicker, I believe. It kind of stunted her walking and even her talking. She didn't talk until she was probably about two.’ Providing healthy meals was also a challenge in temporary accommodation, Natalie says. Looking after Tia while using a shared kitchen was almost impossible to manage. ‘I did try to cook one day and that’s when Tia got her hand stuck in the fire doors. I just heard a loud scream and a bang and she’d caught her hand in the heavy doors. You can’t tell children to stay in once place, they’re going to want to move about. There was no safety for children in that hostel.’ Shelter was able to support Natalie’s fight to escape homelessness, and she and Tia now have a social rent home. The impact on Tia has been immensely positive. ‘Since moving into our home, Tia is happy, bubbly and loves meeting other kids. She feels rooted and it’s given her stability, she knows this is her home and that’s it. There are kids out there who go to school and you wouldn’t know they’re in hostels, but it affects their education and concentration. No child should have to be homeless or worry about their home being taken away from them.’