A Safety-net for San Diego’s Most Vulnerable Children & Families
Eighteen years ago, when Laura Tancredi-Baese stepped in as Home Start’s CEO, she saw something missing: safe, supportive housing for young pregnant women and new mothers in crisis/facing homelessness. Too often, these women and their babies were left without options. Laura listened — and acted.
She launched San Diego’s first Maternity Housing Program in 2009. What began with five modest units and a single staff member has grown into a robust housing network that now includes five owned multi-unit properties and dozens of master-leased apartments, serving hundreds of young mothers, children, and families each year.
In addition to Home Start’s housing department, Laura has continued to grow and expand our other life-changing programs, which offer the foundations for transformation: therapy, parenting classes, job training, basic needs assistance, and a chance to break the cycles of poverty and trauma.
But progress is now at risk.
Over half of our annual funding for children and families comes from federal sources, many of which face reductions or policy shifts that could drastically limit our reach.
In addition to housing, the necessary program funding for therapy, parenting classes, case management, and poverty prevention to support mothers and children is in jeopardy.
Laura’s Legacy of Love fund is a special initiative to honor her extraordinary vision and ensures her life’s work continues for generations.
With your gift today, you will:
Help build a strategic reserve to sustain our programs serving mothers and children through funding uncertainties.
Empower Home Start to stay mission-focused, regardless of federal shifts.
Uphold the safety, dignity, and future of San Diego’s most at-risk mothers and children
Home Start has always been there for San Diego’s most vulnerable families — and now, with your help, we’ll be ready for whatever tomorrow brings.
We’re proud to launch a special reserve fund, stewarded by our trusted partners at the Jewish Community Foundation. This isn’t for everyday operations — it’s designed to help us respond swiftly when unexpected challenges arise.
This fund helps us act immediately when:
Emergency Home Repairs
A family shelter needs emergency repairs — a roof, a fridge, a safe space that can’t wait.
Emergency Car Repairs
A hardworking mom needs her car fixed so she can stay employed and keep her children housed.
Gaps in Public Funding
Gaps in public funding threaten essential services, and families can't afford to wait.
It’s a fund that says: We’re ready. We won’t pause. We will protect.
Our goal is to raise $100,000 to seed this vital reserve.
Every member of our Board of Directors has already made a personal commitment. And thanks to early support from champions like you, we’ve raised more than $80,000 so far.
Now, we invite you to join us — as a Founding Donor of this legacy fund.
A partner in resilience.
A believer in what Home Start stands for — today and always.
Laura led with love. Now, it's your turn.
Help us honor Laura’s legacy by continuing to uplift the people and communities she loved most.
"When I stepped in 18 years ago, Home Start was at a critical turning point. I knew we needed to stabilize the organization, fill funding gaps, and explore new opportunities for growth. My first priority was getting to know our staff—understanding their needs, challenges, and what drove them to do this work.
As I listened, I quickly realized there was a huge gap in housing support for pregnant and parenting young women. No other agency was tackling this issue, so I founded our Maternity Housing Program with just one staff member and five rented housing units.
That small spark of an idea has now grown into our largest department, with five multi-unit owned properties and dozens more master-leased units providing safe homes for families in need." - Laura Tancredi-Baese, Home Start CEO