An Introduction

Want to know more about Mother's Refuge? Click here to watch this video introduction.

Our Mission

Our mission is to shelter and educate homeless, pregnant and parenting young women by providing comprehensive services that empower them to make successful life decisions for themselves and their babies.

Welcome to Mother's Refuge

Mother's Refuge, a program for homeless pregnant teens and new mothers and their infants, includes a residential care facility as well as an aftercare program. The need for these services is great and urgent, because pregnancy and youth combined with homelessness are dangerous to both mother and child. Teen pregnancy continues at a high level in the Kansas City area with steadily increasing numbers of pregnant teens from all economic and ethnic groups. Homelessness among these young mothers and their new infants is on the rise. No other shelter within the greater Kansas City area accepts homeless pregnant teens for long-term care, because of the behavioral, medical and licensing issues involved. The young women Mother's Refuge serves either have no families or families so dysfunctional that they are unable to address basic survival needs.

A pregnant teen may be admitted to the facility any time during her pregnancy. Many support services are provided to these young women, including access to medical care, individual and group counseling, food, clothing, mandatory participation in education and/or job training, childbirth/parenting classes, practical life skills classes and independent living skills training. Mother's Refuge has eight adult beds and four cribs. The facility is usually full and often has a waiting list. After delivery, residents and their babies may stay for up to one year in our program. At the end of their residency, they return to their families, live independently, or may be placed in other residential facilities. The young mom and her baby then enter into our Aftercare/Transitional Living Program, which continues to lend emotional support, case management and follow-up care.