RESIDENTIAL FACILITY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN & WOMEN WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN

RESIDENTIAL FACILITY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN & WOMEN WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN

Meredith's Place in Scott

PURPOSE

To provide the treatment services, collaborations and community resources necessary for women with substance use disorders and their children to maintain a lifestyle free from the harmful effects of addiction.

GOAL

To begin the process of physical, mental and emotional rehabilitation for individuals with substance use disorders through structured, supervised, residential treatment using research-based and outcome-oriented treatment models.

The Acadiana region has not been immune to the devastating effects of opioids and other drugs on mothers and their children as well as pregnant women. Each year, the majority of families with children entering foster care or at risk of entering foster care struggle with substance use and addiction. Information provided by the Acadiana Area Human Services District indicated that for period of July 1, 2019 through May 14, 2020, 30 pregnant women and an additional 85 women with dependent children sought services that are currently not available in the Lafayette area. When a parent needs treatment for addiction, this often means that they are separated from their kids. Out of home placement for children (without their parents) has a huge impact on their social, emotional, and educational development, and separation from children adds immense stress and depression for mothers. There are currently no residential facilities for pregnant women or women with children in our area that would allow women to access the help they need while remaining with their children. The Extra Mile is proposing to open a long-term residential facility that would enable children and babies to remain with their mothers, who would be getting the substance abuse treatment that they need.

The Extra Mile Region IV Inc. is a private non- profit that has a long history of providing services to this population. We have thirty years of experience in serving Acadiana’s most vulnerable population, including families involved with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). In the course of our work, we have seen an increasing need for local residential services for the families that we serve. In addition, we conducted a needs assessment with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), and DCFS staff indicated a residential facility of this type as one of the top needs of our region. Families who are involved with the courts or other state agencies would also qualify. For the women mentioned above, the lack of a local residential facility often meant that mothers got a less intensive treatment that they needed, had to be separated from their children, or had to leave the area in order to get treatment while remaining with their children.

The State of Louisiana has attempted for years to partner with an agency to provide residential services, and we are excited about and committed to the opportunity to expand our services in a meaningful and impactful way. Our core values as an agency include the importance of family, and the right of all people to be treated with respect and dignity. We believe that the services we provide, as well as our core values, make us the ideal agency to offer a residential facility for families. We have identified a location for our facility, and invite you to join us in making this vision a reality. The next step is the purchase of the building and startup of the program. We are partnering with the community for this step, and ask you to consider giving to this program. Our goal of $250,000.00, will provide the funds needed to close on the real estate purchase and also provide the startup funds necessary to open the facility. Know that your gift will help women in our area make lifelong changes for their families and children.

To learn more about this program, contact George Mills at (337) 237-2090.

ALL DONATIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED! The Extra Mile Region IV is a 501(c)3 (nonprofit) organization and donations are tax deductible.
To donate by mail, make checks payable to The Extra Mile Region IV and send your check to the following address: 720 Saint John Street Lafayette, LA 70501