Karinya House wraps around 140 to 160 women and their children on average every year with holistic, “horizon-transforming” hope. Photo: globalmoments.
Every year, hundreds of pregnant women and mothers in crisis turn to Karinya House. Some are sleeping in cars with their children when they reach out. For others, it’s the fear of what comes next that pushes them to seek help.
In all cases, it’s a moment of crisis — but also a moment of courage and hope.
That’s why Karinya House, a Canberra-based service supporting women who are pregnant or parenting and in crisis, is calling on the community to help raise $120,000 this May.
It costs Karinya House an average of $15,000 to wrap around each woman and their children, many of whom have fled violence or poverty, with a holistic support plan.
These plans often include around 150 days of safe housing, health care, legal aid, parenting support and baby goods in the short term, as well as assistance towards stability, safety and independence in the long term.
“When we first meet women, it’s usually at the crisis point, when their immediate needs are for safety and accommodation,” Karinya House CEO Lavinia Tyrrel said.
“Over time, in a supported environment, many women develop the confidence to make choices that support long-term independence, whether that be finishing school, applying for public housing — all key factors in securing work.
“That in turn is a key piece of the puzzle towards financial independence, which gives women the ability to make choices and avoid getting pushed back into crisis.”
During a recent speech at the Karinya House May luncheon, Justice Louise Taylor said these longer-term impacts should not be underestimated — either morally or economically.
“Investing in services like Karinya — services that improve the prospect of children remaining in the care of their mothers where it is safe to do so — is not only an act of decency, but also an act that makes good economic sense for our community in the long term,” she said.
“When the statistics tell us that a child in the care of the state is more likely to become entrenched in a system that has a revolving door to custodial environments, investing in services that guard against the prospect of that initial step into care is just clever economic policy.
“Investment in Karinya is an investment in transformative, generational change. The value to the individual women and their children who can remain as a family unit because of Karinya is matched by the value to the community in diverting those children away from the child protection system.
“This is a long-term impact, the value of which I would suggest is immeasurable.”
Justice Louise Taylor said supporting Karinya House was not only an act of decency, but one that made good economic sense. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Karinya supports between 140 and 160 women each year. It’s hoped their May appeal will raise enough funds to support around eight women this year.
It may not seem like many, but for these eight women and their children, it represents the chance to chart a whole new path — one that may not have been possible otherwise.
“We never want to be in a position where we have to turn a woman and her children away,” Ms Tyrrel said.
“We know how critical those first 2000 days of a child’s life are. If we can be there at the beginning, we can support a woman to chart her own journey and potentially a new trajectory.”
In her speech, Justice Taylor described the work as “transforming horizons”.
“The kind of change promoted by contact with Karinya is the kind that lifts people out of circumstances they have previously been unable to control, which in turn can allow all manner of potential to be fulfilled,” she said.
Early support — starting from pregnancy — is a key part of Karinya’s model. The team gets referrals from many sources, including midwives, family services and the Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS).
But most women find Karinya on their own.
“We think most of our cases are self-referring, which means women in very challenging circumstances are taking a brave, strong step to ask for our help. It speaks to the trust women place in Karinya House as a safe, non-judgmental space where they’ll be seen, heard and supported,” Ms Tyrrel said.
With less than a week to go, the organisation has almost reached its goal and is calling on the community to dig deep and be part of that work.
“If you can support the emergence of that potential through the work of the amazing people of Karinya, I can find no reason for you not to,” Justice Taylor said at the Karinya House May luncheon.
“If I could order you to, I probably would. In the absence of the power to do that, I simply encourage you to reflect on the transformative capacity of the work and remind you that it can only make you feel good to be a small part of it.”
To give, visit Karinya House’s May appeal.
