Hi there, I know there’s already something up about being in a refuge but I found it all a bit confusing so I thought I would give my own take.
I have stayed in a few refuges, both within the main refuge and in an annex. Being in the main refuge was really helpful because me and my lo were surrounded by people in the same situation.
However, children seem to always pickup bad habits from each other and I found it a good idea not to get too close to the other ladies. Not because there was a drug problem or anything but just because you need a bit of space to make sense of your own problems.
Annexes are good because you get a lot more independence but I think that as this comes with a lot less support, possibly not the best idea if you have just had to go into a refuge.