Butterflies represent the 205 Texans killed by domestic violence in 2023. Such deaths are a tragic reminder of what is at stake when systems cannot intervene in time, Gloria Aguilera Terry writes.
Anja Schlein/Dallas Morning News
Americans will spend billions of dollars on flowers, brunch and cards this Sunday. We will celebrate the strength and sacrifice of mothers in our lives. Do we have an accurate picture of what that entails?
Thousands of mothers are raising children in Texas while living in fear of violence at home. Last year, domestic violence programs across Texas served nearly 66,000 Texans and received more than 260,000 hotline calls, according to the 2025 State of the State Report from the Texas Council on Family Violence. Between 2015 and 2024, the council’s Honoring Texas Victims Report recorded that 1,599 women in Texas were killed by a male intimate partner or former partner — a tragic reminder of what is at stake when systems cannot intervene in time.
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Every day, mothers call domestic violence hotlines while hiding in bathrooms, parked cars or locked bedrooms. Some are trying to plan their escape from their abusive partners. Others are desperately searching for a safe place to sleep with their children to get through one more night.
Too often, there is nowhere for them to go.
Despite the tireless work of advocates across Texas, more than half of survivors seeking shelter were turned away last year because there simply were not enough beds or space. Of those denied shelter because of capacity issues, 57% were considered “high-risk” for severe harm or homicide, according to the Texas Violence and Injury Prevention Research Center at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Think about what that means.
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A mother makes the terrifying decision to leave an abusive home, often risking retaliation, financial instability and homelessness, only to hear there are no available beds. She is given a list of resources, and advocates will make as many calls as they can to connect her to help, but she is not safe in that moment.
That reality becomes even more urgent when you know that leaving an abusive relationship is the most dangerous time for a survivor. Domestic violence is rooted in issues of control, and the decision to leave directly challenges that control, often escalating the risk of violence. Time and again, we see cases where abusers kill a partner who has tried to escape, treating it as a final, devastating assertion of control.
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But escaping is only the first step for mothers.
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They often need childcare so they can attend court hearings or go to work. They need legal assistance to navigate protective orders and custody battles. They need affordable housing in a state where rent continues to outpace wages. They need counseling for themselves and their children who have witnessed trauma. And 99% of survivors are looking for help to get out from under forced debt that their abusive partner inflicted on them.
These services are critical to rebuilding autonomy and a life, yet they’re in desperate need of funds to meet these needs.
For years, domestic violence programs have stretched limited resources to meet growing needs. Staff burnout is high. Affordable housing remains scarce. Less than 45% of shelters have funding to provide childcare options.
If we are serious about supporting mothers, we cannot rely solely on flowers. Funding their safety is a more meaningful show of support and appreciation.
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Texas lawmakers should prioritize sustainable funding for domestic violence programs — specifically to meet immediate needs via emergency shelters, transitional housing and childcare assistance. And if we want a future free of this violence, we have to dedicate resources to prevention programming. Domestic violence is a cycle. If we educate Texans about healthy relationships at a young age, we disrupt the cycle.
With the 90th Texas Legislative Session approaching in 2027, lawmakers will have a critical opportunity to translate these statistics and stories of mothers — indeed, survivors in general — into action that makes a difference for them.
On Sunday, some mothers will wake up to handmade cards and breakfast in bed. Others will wake up calculating how to escape their own home. They deserve systems that support their brave decisions to leave violence and rebuild their lives.
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Gloria Aguilera Terry is the CEO of the Austin-based Texas Council on Family Violence, a coalition of domestic violence agencies.