It was around one a.m. on a summer night two years ago when the Tylers first met Jon, Tawanda and Lamont.* They were only 4, 3 and 2 years old at the time, and were staying at a motel with their mom and two baby brothers.

Violence and fear became a fixture in their young lives. The police came when their mom and her companion fought – something that happened as long as they could remember. Their mom sometimes disappeared for long stretches, leaving them without food.