Two children, ages 8 and 15, were placed into protective custody after Fresno police found them living in what officers described as unsafe conditions inside a vehicle near Fresno Street and Clinton Avenue, police told GV Wire.

Officers were dispatched about 9:49 p.m. Oct. 23 for a welfare check involving two juveniles who were reportedly living in the vehicle with their mother.

When an officer arrived, police said there were large amounts of trash surrounding the vehicle, along with other people setting up camp nearby. Blankets covered the vehicle’s windows, and the vehicle was not running.

One child was sitting in the front passenger seat, while the other was in the back. Police said the vehicle was nearly filled with belongings and trash, and the officer reported a strong odor coming from inside and around the vehicle.

Neither parent was present when officers arrived. One of the children told police their mother had gone to nearby apartments to look for cans.

Police said both children appeared extremely dirty and unbathed and did not have warm clothing despite temperatures in the low 50s. One child was wearing a thin shirt and pajamas, while the other was wearing shorts.

Officers placed both children on temporary protective custody because of the conditions, police said. Their parents were cited and released.

Fresno Mission Says Family Homelessness Is Increasing

Matthew Dildine, CEO of Fresno Mission, told GV Wire that families sleeping in vehicles are not unusual in Fresno and said the problem appears to be growing.

“It’s very common and probably an increasing problem,” Dildine said, estimating that dozens of families with children could be sleeping in vehicles on any given night.

Dildine said the biggest obstacle facing homeless families is that there is nowhere for many of them to go.

“The biggest barrier right now is availability,” he said. “We simply have less shelter beds in our community than we had a year ago, and there is simply less money to sustain the existing system.”

The Fresno Mission’s waiting list has grown from about 150 families last year to 293 homeless families currently seeking shelter, Dildine said.

For some families, Dildine said, sleeping in a vehicle may actually be safer than the alternatives. Women with children may remain with an abuser or trafficker rather than risk sleeping on the street, he said, underscoring what he described as the heightened risks faced by homeless children.

Unlike adults experiencing homelessness on their own, Dildine said families often seek well-lit public areas where they feel less vulnerable.

Demand for food has also increased. Dildine said the mission previously served about 150 meals nightly to families at Fresno City Center but is now serving about 400.

He said families seeking help have reported increasing financial pressure, including evictions, while organizations serving homeless residents continue to struggle with funding.

Fear of Losing Children Can Keep Families From Seeking Help

Dildine said some homeless parents hesitate to seek services because they fear their children could be removed from their custody.

“Being homeless should never be something where someone’s children are automatically taken away,” Dildine said.

He said living in a shelter alone is not grounds for children to be removed and that the Fresno Mission works with Child Protective Services to support families at risk of separation and to help parents reunify with children who have already been removed.

At the same time, Dildine said circumstances involving addiction, mental illness, or unsafe conditions can sometimes require intervention to protect children.

The Fresno Mission works with parents and Fresno County on reunification plans that can include supervised visits and gradually longer stays with their children in a structured environment, Dildine said.

He described keeping families together and helping parents reunify with their children as the ultimate goal.

Dildine urged families sleeping in vehicles, tents, or on the street to seek assistance at Fresno City Center.

“Fresno’s resources are limited, but we will try and do everything we can to at least put you in a healthy space,” Dildine said.

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