Support for Abused Families

An article in the New York Times todays features a Chicago-based support group for women and their children who have left abusive husbands.

The group, Safe Families for Children, understands that it’s difficult for abused mothers to get back on their feet again while also taking care of their children and so has created a sort of foster program for children. The program allows mothers to leave their children with families (after allowing the mothers to choose the family) for any length of time and when the mother comes back for her children, she doesn’t need to go through the courts. The mother is allowed to visit whenever she wants and the program claims that many adoptive families become very close to the original family. 

There are child psychologists who think the program is a bad idea, saying that children shouldn’t be separated from their mothers unless risk is imminent and that it’s better that they go to relatives instead of strangers. But risk is always imminent (and most imminent) right after a woman leaves an abusive spouse and responsible relatives are not always available. 

The program was created by a child psychologist, David Anderson, who is also involved with a Christian service agency and the foster program relies on churches to find families.