Expert, complimentary childcare helps families recovering from alcoholism

In its mission to care for kids so families can access healthcare, Mommies In Need is collaborating with another North Texas nonprofit organization, Magdalen House, a recovery community for alcoholic women. Mommies In Need is providing expert, complimentary childcare to allow mothers to focus on their recovery and utilize the services and support Magdalen House offers while their children are in a safe, loving environment.

The Other Side- The Magdalen House

“We are honored to be able to help make a difference for these families,” Natalie Boyle, founder and CEO of Mommies In Need, said. “Our vision is that safe, quality childcare should not be a barrier to getting the care a parent or guardian needs.”

Specially trained teachers from Mommies In Need began offering care at Magdalen House in 2019 so moms in recovery could attend outpatient support group meetings. Today, Magdalen’s House, now located at 4513 Gaston Avenue, is just a few minutes away from Annie’s Place, the drop-in childcare center from Mommies In Need. Mommies In Need is now able to host kids in a child-centered environment just a few moments away from Magdalen House while moms participate in the Next Step program, an outpatient initiative that allows recovering moms to access services, support groups, and also to volunteer to help other women in recovery.

“We encourage women to stay involved in the program, and Mommies In Need is helping us do that by providing childcare.”

-Ainsley Chapman

Staying in care even after completing both inpatient and outpatient programs helps build success for the women of Magdalen House: “We believe that to sustain long-term recovery, it’s important to stay involved in a program where you give back and help others,” Ainsley Chapman, director of outreach for Magdalen House, explained. “We encourage women to stay involved in the program, and Mommies In Need is helping us do that by providing childcare.”

More than a daycare, Annie’s Place presents a high-quality, stimulating, child-centered environment full of activities and therapy to help surround kids with support. In addition to teachers who have special training in trauma-informed care, the Annie’s Place team also includes a social worker and a certified play therapist on staff.

More than half of the women who are recovering with the help of Magdalen House are mothers, many with young children. Whether they are participating in the residential Social Detox program, or in the outpatient Next Step program, having access to expert, complimentary childcare will help take one more worry off their minds as they focus on getting better, and taking it one day at a time.

“Annie’s Place was a godsend!” noted Chapman, who utilized Annie’s’ Place for her own daughter’s care so that Chapman could participate with the outpatient program. “I felt really good about sending my daughter there. Having the extra stress lifted during this time was such a relief. It helped so much.”

“We know that moms want nothing more than to be good mothers to their children, and to do that, they need to be able to focus on getting the help they need first, ” Boyle said. “We’re proud to work with the incredible team at Magdalen House to support moms by caring for their kids while they work on their steps.”

Learn more about the services provided by Magdalen House. To help support the care Mommies In Need is providing via this special initiative, please contact Manuel Mesa, director of development for Mommies In Need. mmesa@mommiesinneed.org