When single mom Taylor arrived in Atlanta with her children, Naomi and Carter, to start over after a family crisis, every day was a question mark. She just knew she wanted a better future for her family.
“Coming in, I just had me and my babies and a stroller,” Taylor said. “We were walking, we’re taking the bus. I was just looking for a stable home and stable childcare.”
For families experiencing housing instability, life can narrow into a daily cycle of meeting the next immediate need. Finding transportation, securing childcare, making it to appointments, keeping up with work opportunities, and supporting children’s development can feel out of reach when all your energy is spent getting through the next day.
Too many families like Taylor’s are caught in this cycle. According to the most recent Point-in-Time Count, homelessness in the City of Atlanta increased this year by 6%.
Housing, childcare, transportation, and employment are often interconnected barriers for the more than 1,000 families experiencing homelessness United Way of Greater Atlanta serves each year.
For Taylor, who was staying at Our House, an emergency shelter for families with children funded by United Way of Greater Atlanta, she needed safe, reliable childcare so she could return to work while building stability for her family.
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The support that helped a family find their footing
In 2025, Taylor’s family enrolled at Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter (ACS), one of the many community partners United Way invests in to help families experiencing homelessness build stability. Through ACS, children have a safe place to learn and grow while parents receive support finding housing, securing employment, accessing healthcare, and taking other steps toward long-term stability.
“One thing I really do love about childcare is the security of it all, and the comfortability that my kids have when they’re here,” she said. “It does give me a lot of opportunities and chances to explore job opportunities.”
Childcare opened the door for Taylor to return to the restaurant industry after four years away from the workforce. She was able to move her family into stable housing. They became a part of a community that cared, while her children found the support they needed.
When she first enrolled at ACS, Naomi, a bubbly toddler Taylor describes as her “mini-me,” had limited mobility and used leg braces. Through physical therapy and specialized support, she now walks and plays independently. Carter, a kind and energetic sibling, participated in speech and play therapy, and has become a more confident communicator.
As her children grew, Taylor found room to grow as well.
“It helps me just have a better idea of what I want for me and my kids in the future,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect coming here. I didn’t expect going from MARTA to having a car eventually, from not having a job to having a job and being promoted.”
Today, Naomi and Carter are learning and growing. And Taylor is no longer focused solely on making it through the next day. With a stable home, steady employment, and a community of support, she is building the future she wants for her family. For Taylor, that’s the greatest gift of all.
At United Way of Greater Atlanta, we know lasting stability rarely comes from a single solution. When it comes to basic essentials — housing, childcare, transportation, employment, and health — families can struggle to move forward when even just one piece is missing. But when these supports work together, parents can move beyond crisis and begin building the future they want for their children.
With your support, we can continue to give more families the resources they need to build stable futures. Will you join us? Donate today.