Afraid, overwhelmed, and desperate—these are the emotions many struggling single moms face daily as they work to provide for their children. Nationally, 74% of households led by single moms struggle to afford basic needs, and in Florida, that number rises to 81%, according to United for ALICE.
Amid mounting challenges, One More Child comes alongside single moms with practical resources, compassionate support, and spiritual encouragement. Our services empower, equip, and strengthen single moms as they build stable, hope-filled futures for themselves and their children.
Our Single Moms residential program accomplishes this by providing a safe, stable home for 12 months to moms and children accepted into the program. Moms in our care no longer have to choose between paying rent and putting dinner on the table. Instead, they can focus on saving money and building a stable life for their children.
While living in our homes, moms access tangible resources, attend weekly life-skills classes, receive financial coaching, connect with churches and the community, access mentorship, and save at least 30% of their income. These program elements work together to build self-sufficiency and confidence, equipping single moms to succeed by the end of the 12-month process.
Through our Single Moms homes, we see hope restored, potential unlocked, and lives transformed.
This is exactly what we saw in Zoey’s* life.
Freed, Housed, and Reunited
Zoey* is a resilient mother of four girls, ages 3-13, and is also a survivor of human trafficking.
Before we met Zoey, she was trapped in a life of suffering and exploitation but longed for safety. She bravely sought help to escape exploitation and found it through a recovery program with another nonprofit agency. The difficult and complex steps of recovery included establishing protection from Zoey’s abusers and expunging charges related to her time in exploitation. During this process, Zoey was temporarily separated from her children to ensure their safety—a requirement of the program to protect survivors and their families during this critical time.
During these months, her daughters lived with a family member who generously stepped in to care for the girls while their mom worked to rebuild stability. Zoey only saw her daughters during brief visits, but rather than despairing, she used it as motivation. She was determined to heal, to recover, and reemerge stronger than ever, so she could once again be fully present in her daughters’ lives.
Finally, through God’s provision, justice came, and the charges against Zoey related to her trafficking were dropped, opening the door to opportunity and freedom. But the road to restoration was still fraught with obstacles—stable housing, gainful employment, household essentials, food, and more. How was she going to provide everything her children needed?
Then, a referral to One More Child’s Sarasota Single Moms residential program eased Zoey’s concerns, and the program emerged as a God-ordained fit. Our team prepared a home for Zoey and her daughters, and since it was right before Christmas, set up a Christmas tree with presents already underneath.
Then the day finally came: Zoey and her daughters reunited and moved into their new home in One More Child’s Palm Garden Village.
The girls were thrilled about the new house, but more than anything, were overjoyed to be back with their mom. On Christmas morning, Zoey sent a video to our team of her four daughters riding their brand-new bikes in Palm Garden Village. In thank you notes written to One More Child and our donors, one of the girls shared, “Thank you for the Christmas gifts. They were all so nice… but more than anything, thank you for helping my mom.”
Zoey has met, and at times exceeded, program expectations, including in her employment search, where several employers wanted to hire her on the spot during the interview. For the first time in a long time, she has real options and opportunities ahead of her.
Today, Zoey and her daughters are building a future together—one marked not by what they endured, but by strength and hope rooted in Jesus Christ.
*Name changed for privacy.
Support Single Moms
One More Child is rewriting stories of despair into ones of hope for single moms and their children every day in our residential program. With homes across Florida currently serving moms and children—and more homes under construction—we are meeting critical needs today while expanding our reach to serve even more children and families tomorrow.
You can join our mission today and support single moms on their path to self-sufficiency.