Making Things Work With the Help of Safe Families

Life hasn’t been easy for Maura lately, but this determined woman is finding a way to care for her 10-year-old son with the help of Safe Families.

Maura, 34, is a taxi driver who takes passengers to and from O’Hare International Airport. Until recently, she was able to make ends meet. Last fall, however, her landlord got behind on his mortgage and lost the building.

Maura and Noah found a new place to live, but the situation was stressful and lasted only a few months. They moved out, and Maura immediately went to a local social service agency for help.

“I was confused, overwhelmed, and worried,” says Maura. “I talked with the social worker about maybe giving Noah up for adoption. It was a terrible thought, but I wondered if he would be better off with someone who had more resources than me.”

The social worker urged Maura to consider other options and recommended that she call Safe Families. She did, and very quickly was introduced to a young volunteer couple willing to care for Noah every weekend. Maura gratefully accepted their offer.

During the week, Noah lives with one of Maura’s former neighbors, who has young children of her own. With this plan, Maura can work during her prime times for taxi fares.

Maura spends as much time as she can with Noah between shifts, particularly in the late afternoon and early evening. She and Noah still don’t have a place to live, but Maura is working with an agency to find a job with more regular hours and steadier pay. This will allow her to rent an apartment and be home with Noah in the evenings and on weekends.

In the meantime, it is enough for her to know that Noah is doing well.

“Chris and Beth are really great. They take Noah to the movies or sledding, things I have not been able to do for a long time,” she says. “When he goes to their house, he relaxes and has fun. He comes back to my friend’s place feeling refreshed. Chris and Beth make him feel good about his life.”