Sounds so easy...
--I wonder if they have emergency shelter housing for women with children. That's a population that has a very difficult time getting emergency housing in my area, because it's the most needed and they can't just put them all in a big dorm like they do with the guys at the mission. In my brief period of homelessness, we contacted every available local agency, both in a proactive and reactive fashion (as many won't help until it's basically too late) and I'm a social services worker, so I know them all, and were put on the waiting lists...the average wait time was two months for EMERGENCY SHELTER, and 18-36 months for more permanent. They did, however, give us a bag of peanuts, a loaf of bread, and a box of Twinkies.
--As an early education provider for low-income "at-risk" families, I used to encourage them to ask DHS for help, too. That was, until I saw the can of worms that opens. They go in saying, "I need help with my child while I get sober and housing." Months later, they're sober, they have housing, but now DHS has decided a myriad of other services they have to engage in, some not even remotely applicable...or have decided to take longer to reunite than the child was in care in the first place... Point being, it's really easy to say, "Yeah, go ask them for help that is what they do," but one might as well consider asking DHS for help as semi-voluntarily turning your child over to the state indefinitely. It would be lovely if there were agencies (or more agencies) that would allow you to put your child in short-term care during treatment, etc., without the legal battle to reunite. So, not as particularly viable an option as was presented. There are places that take women with young children in treatment, but not men with children, which doesn't matter in this case, but has mattered in several cases I've worked with.
--When I was there for Halloween, there were tons of people, and the tunnels between the casinos and hotels didn't have chairs, let alone couches. There were benches in lobbies, but anyone lingering there would be noticed. I didn't see one person crashed out on a bench near a casino/hotel. I even commented that the lack of seating areas seemed odd, as if one were having difficulties walking through all the tunnels, there's no where to sit. My experience isn't supposed to be representative of anything except my own recent experience at the Palms. But, I don't think security would look kindly upon people crashing out randomly. The baby, yes, mom, doubt it. IMO. In my brief but awful personal period of homelessness, I know that even though I managed to shower regularly and go to work every day, I looked pretty haggard and carried more bags than looked necessary. I felt like I had "homeless" written across my forehead, but maybe my shame and imagination were in play there.
--I didn't realize pan-handling was an allowed thing there. I didn't see one when I was there, but I did hang in the hotel most of the time. I live in an area where we have a huge transient population (cali to seattle and back is a thing apparently, and we're on that route), so yeah, I suppose that's a possibility. Some folks might feel they're "above it," or don't want their child exposed to that, or don't feel it's safe as it raises vulnerability and raises visibility as far as LE is concerned.
--I didn't realize there were churches on the strip helping people. Cool.
--there were probably local hotlines and mental health agencies, too. People in the throes of an episode, whether it be one of mental illness, drugs, or just evil, aren't always actually looking for help. If she was determined to do this, she's need the "world is against me" woefullness going on, and asking for and getting help doesn't fit the dramatic Parisian-style presentation she was after.
Yikes.
