I met Petrina and her daughter in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Petrina lives with her three children in a women’s shelter, and her husband stays at a men’s shelter on the other side of town.
Families having to split up is often common in homeless services, and can be a roadblock to families accepting services. Unfortunately, in communities where there is no family specific shelter, the only options remain homeless or split up.
Social assistance provides this family with $688 a month, which makes it challenging to rent an apartment. Daycare is also an issue. The cost of daycare is the reason Petrina had to drop out of school and often becomes a barrier to finding employment.
Special thanks to Salvation Army in Saskatoon
