Two new residential units for adolescents were inaugurated on Thursday at a WIZO shelter for women affected by domestic violence, expanding the facility’s capacity to house families with teenagers.
The units were established through a joint initiative of the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry and WIZO and are designed to accommodate adolescents who, under existing regulations, cannot be housed in shelters unless dedicated facilities are available.
Until now, older teenagers accompanying their mothers were often forced to remain behind or live in conditions that did not meet their developmental needs.
According to the ministry, shelters for women affected by domestic violence are generally authorized to house children only up to early adolescence, unless specialized units exist for older minors.
As a result, families with teenage children have faced significant barriers to entering shelters or have been housed in overcrowded, non-private conditions.
In practice, the need for dedicated adolescent units emerged from cases in which families were forced to separate when entering shelters due to the lack of age-appropriate facilities.
At the opening event, Irina Maayan, who entered the shelter with her family more than two decades ago, recalled having to leave an older sibling behind because there was no space for teenagers. “There simply wasn’t a place for him,” she said. “That separation stayed with us long after we were safe.”
WIZO’s new units aim to support families in domestic violence shelters
The newly opened units were designed as semi-independent apartments within the shelter, providing increased privacy and space for families with adolescents. Ministry officials said the model allows both the parent and the teenager to engage more effectively in therapeutic and rehabilitative processes.
“This is not an added luxury but a basic condition for rehabilitation,” said Efrat Sharabi, head of the ministry’s senior division for out-of-home placements, family, children, and youth. “Providing adolescents with age-appropriate living conditions significantly increases the chances of breaking the cycle of violence.”
WIZO officials said the initiative reflects a long-term prevention approach aimed at reducing intergenerational exposure to domestic violence. “Adolescents who receive appropriate support at this stage are far more likely to build independent and stable lives,” said Revital Neuman, head of WIZO’s Department for the Advancement of Women.
The project was supported in part by WIZO Australia, whose representatives attended the opening ceremony during an international WIZO delegation visit. The shelter itself is marking 30 years of operation.
Welfare officials said the opening of the two units is expected to increase access to shelter services for women with teenage children and reduce the need for families to make difficult choices between safety and family unity.