Often when a family is in crisis their only coping strategy is to ask their children to stop schooling and return to work, or they cut back on their already meager food supplies. Frequently both of these strategies are employed. It became evident that for many of our older children this was regularly happening, so in response we extended our welfare department to include community field workers to make home visits to the those absentee children and see how we could offer support to the family. We were amazed to learn how fast a family can spiral into crisis. The community field workers learned that so many families have taken in abandoned children and that this was placing unbearable strain on the existing family. Part of our family enhancement program is to provide emergency food parcels and medical help, while our staff, together with the family, find long term solutions.