Mr. and Mrs. Jurado with their sons Elmer and Jonathan in their repaired apartment.
More than eight months since the pandemic hit the DC region, we see children and their families doing their best to be resilient during an extraordinarily difficult time. Parents going the distance for their kids by juggling jobs, distance learning and family care. Neighbors uplifting one another and looking after their communities.
But the fatigue is real, and we know far too many families who are still struggling. It’s why I am heartened to see the direct impact Children’s Law Center is making in the lives of DC families right here, right now.
Families like the Jurados, whose unhealthy housing conditions and son’s disability discrimination required our immediate advocacy.
Pervasive humidity and mold in the family’s apartment endangered the health of twelve-year-old Elmer and nine-year-old Jonathan. Before and during the pandemic, their mother, Mrs. Jurado, cleaned daily to try and stop the spread of the mold. Still, the boys’ mattresses rotted, and their bedroom walls were wet to the touch.
When Mrs. Jurado contracted the coronavirus and quarantined in recovery for more than a month, the effects of the mold became even more dangerous: Elmer and Jonathan developed skin rashes and Elmer had difficulty breathing. The problem was so serious that the family was forced to relocate to the living room and sleep on inflatable mattresses – all at a time when families are spending the majority of their days indoors.
Like far too many families across the District, the Jurados struggled to get their landlord to fix their home’s terrible conditions – until a referral through our medical-legal partnership with Mary’s Center brought the family’s case to our attention.
