Keelin Moncrieff shines a light on the realities homeless pregnant women face in Ireland

On this week's episode of Mother, Keelin was joined by Caroline Snow from Anew, the only charity in Ireland that works specifically with pregnant women and new mothers experiencing homelessness.

According to data published by the Department of Housing, 15,000 people experiencing homelessness in Ireland. One statistic that is less certain, however, is the number of pregnant women and new mothers experiencing homelessness.

Anew, a charity that works specifically with pregnant women and new mothers, are calling for pregnant women and new mothers experiencing homelessness to be accounted for. On the most recent episode of Mother, our parenting podcast hosted by Keelin Moncrieff and proudly sponsored by Dairylea, Anew's Caroline Snow explained why it's vital to know how many women are impacted by homelessness in order to support them.

Through a number of services, Anew supports pregnant women and new mothers who do not have a safe place to live. The charity's Cherry Blossom Cottage in North County Dublin has four bedrooms with en suites, offers a place for pregnant women to stay until their baby is six-months-old. Anew's Stepdown House in the city centre has six self-contained apartments that women and their babies can stay in after leaving Cherry Blossom Cottage.

In addition to these housing services, Anew offers day support programmes, coffee mornings, assessments and peer support groups, with the aim of empowering their service users to advocate for themselves. They also work closely with medical social workers.

While the organisation provides vital services for women and their babies in Ireland, they also face a number of challenges. On Mother, Caroline explained how more space and beds are needed in order to care for pregnant women who don't have a safe space to life. She stressed the need for Government to address homelessness generally, so that services like the Cherry Blossom Cottage no longer need to exist. Stigma and judgement towards mothers and pregnant women using Anew services is also a prevalent issue.

In terms of supporting Anew, Caroline said cash donations and food vouchers are always welcome. As space is limited, the charity is not in a position to accept bulky items like cots and buggies, however baby formula and breast pumps are welcome.

You can learn more and support Anew's work right here, and you can listen to Mother wherever you get your podcasts.