The Whole Child was proudly represented on a national stage this week as Laura-Elena traveled to Austin, Texas, to present at the 2026 National Conference on Domestic Violence.
Laura-Elena presented alongside Stephanie Whack, Survivor and Advocate, sharing their knowledge and experience with professionals and advocates from across the country through their presentation, “Surviving Abuse and Homelessness: The Power of Housing Programs.”
The presentation explored the important intersection between domestic violence and homelessness and highlighted the powerful role housing programs can play in helping survivors move forward. For individuals and families leaving an abusive situation, access to safe and stable housing can be an essential part of building long-term safety, stability, and independence.
Laura-Elena and Stephanie highlighted the importance of developing housing programs that recognize the unique experiences and needs of survivors rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
As Laura-Elena shared, “When we center survivors’ unique needs and create access to safe, stable housing, we do more than meet an immediate need, we help create the foundation for a future filled with possibility.”
For The Whole Child, these conversations closely connect with our work to help individuals and families move toward healing, health, and homes. Addressing homelessness is about more than providing a place to live. It also means understanding the circumstances that led a family to housing instability and connecting them with the support and resources they need to move forward safely.
Having Laura-Elena present at a national conference provided an opportunity to bring knowledge and experience from this work into a larger conversation with professionals committed to strengthening responses to domestic violence across the country.
We are incredibly proud of Laura-Elena for representing The Whole Child on a national stage and for using her voice, expertise, and experience to advocate for survivor-centered approaches to housing.
Her presentation serves as an important reminder of the power of safe, stable housing and the hope and possibility that can grow when survivors have the support and resources they need to move forward.