Background
The post-shelter period is an extremely perilous stage for women and their children who have managed to escape a violent home life. After living for a prolonged time in a domestic violence shelter, these broken families emerge to begin building a new life. At the start of their rehabilitation process, this vulnerable population is faced with numerous risk factors including poverty, lack of family support, alienation, unemployment, and exclusion from educational frameworks, alongside an array of psychosocial and emotional needs.
The Safety Net Program
Since 2017, WIZO’s Safety Net post-shelter program has proven to be an effective model for integrating women and their children back into the community to live a safe, sustainable, and independent life. There are currently nine Safety Net communities operated by professional staff and volunteers at the WIZO Israel’s branches and their goals are to provide: 1. Emotional Support; 2. Skills and training to achieve financial independence; 3. Parenting workshops to empower the women as mothers.
Facets of the Program
To achieve these goals, the program operates weekly support groups to help women process past trauma and professional counseling sessions such as writing and art therapy. Volunteers also introduce the women to financial and legal resources in order to understand their rights, obtain housing assistance and other government benefits, seek legal aid for divorce and custody processes, and set up bank accounts and other basic life functions. A critical part in helping women build stable lives is education and career development. Safety Net offers training and certification courses, guidance in the application and interviewing process, and a network of employers who are ready to hire.
Most if not all of the women in our Safety Net program are also mothers, and their role in their children’s lives is no less important. Safety Net recognizes that empowering women as mothers can help them remain strong, independent and stable. The program provides training and hands-on guidance to help mothers rebuild their sense of self-worth, confidence and parental competence. The offerings include parent group counseling by the Adler Institute, structured bonding activities and individual counseling.
And More
It’s important to note that Safety Net is not just a program. It’s a community. It’s a network of caring individuals — some professional some volunteers — who are dedicated to supporting these families through everything and anything that comes up as they rebuild their lives. Hence, the “informal” and spontaneous support this community provides can at any point include free clothing from the WIZO Bigudit (secondhand clothing store); furniture and home appliances for a new apartment; babysitting; cooking meals; school supplies for the children; summer camp; food vouchers for the holidays; field trips and more.
Impact
9: Safety Net communities across Israel
160: Children are cared for while their mothers receive hands-on tools to rebuild their lives
130: Families attend structured weekly support meetings tailored for women alongside fun activities for children
120: Dedicated and committed volunteers, trained and supported by WIZO staff
Safety Net’s Success Rate
Starting a new life in a new community requires women and their children to adapt to new surroundings, far from their abusive past but also far from family, friends and the community that supported them. Statistics show that up to 40% of women victims return to their violent partners or establish harmful relationships with another violent man because independence requires resources and a network of support that most don’t have. The women who have taken part in WIZO’s Safety Net program rarely re-enter the cycle of violence. The rate is below 5%!
For over a century, WIZO has led the way in identifying critical needs in Israeli society as they arise, and developing cutting-edge social and educational services to address them.
The enormous demand for the Safety Net program, and its rapid growth throughout Israel, is the best proof that WIZO once again has identified an acute problem, utilized its expertise and innovative spirit to address the need, and created an effective, life-changing and life-saving program for the women and children of Israel.
