Mothers facing poverty shouldn’t have to worry they’ll lose custody of their children while they’re trying to get by financially . But that’s a very real reality for many mothers I’ve met.

As you celebrate Mother’s Day this year, remember those who are separated from their own children. It’s happening more frequently these days, as mothers nationwide stare at bills that seem to swell each month with inflation still lingering.

When I first moved to California in 1997 as a full-time volunteer, I never thought that a young woman like myself, who felt so inexperienced, unqualified, and timid, would find herself involved in helping feed the homeless and building relationships with struggling youth to help them steer clear of gang-related violence and drug use. I’ve learned much from this role. But the one issue that is still a trigger for me is the fact that children are at risk of being removed from their parent’s custody due to severe poverty.

My first encounter working with impoverished families happened 20 years ago when I delivered groceries to a single mother and her eight children in their small apartment. My heart dropped when her children immediately started eating raw zucchini as if it had been days since they had had a meal. I knew we had to intervene. At the Los Angeles Dream Center, we began a mobile food bank to reach these families who had no transportation to come to a shelter to get a proper meal.

As years went by, we built relationships with families throughout Los Angeles. Sadly, we learned that some parents lost custody of their children due to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) determining their inability to provide basic necessities. As I prayed to God for guidance, he immediately clarified my purpose. My trigger became my passion. And my passion was to ensure these families stay together by equipping them with much-needed resources.

We launched our Foster Care Intervention (FCI) outreach program in 2006 to help these families by partnering with the Department of Children and Family Services. Since then, we’ve been providing essential furniture, food, clothing, appliances, and other basic necessities required to allow parents to retain or regain custody of their children. To this day, we continue to receive dozens of referrals from DCFS of families looking to receive aid and services through Foster Care Intervention.

I would hope every mother out there could empathize with anyone at risk of losing their children because of financial struggles. Most of the mothers I meet aren’t negligent, but rather full of love and would do anything to keep their children at home. Their struggle is purely due to the cost of living or a father who has decided to abandon them, leaving them with yet another financial burden on top of the rising cost of housing, energy, groceries, and other essentials.

If you’re moved to help these mothers who face an uphill battle, you don’t have to wait for the government or even reputable nonprofit groups to intervene. You can reach out to any single mother you know and make sure they have the help they need. Sometimes mothers are too embarrassed to ask for help, or they worry they’ll be a burden to others who are already struggling themselves.

I would hope we can all find the courage to have those uncomfortable but critical conversations to ensure that no other child has to leave their mother or their home. Loving mothers deserve to stay united with their children, and it’s up to each of us to help those who fall on hard times.

Caroline Barnett is the executive director of the Dream Center Foundation, and co-pastor of the Los Angeles Dream Center and Angelus Temple Church alongside her husband Matthew Barnett.