GLENDALE, AZ — Dasha Cook arrived at Maggie's Place pregnant and with nowhere else to go.
The Phoenix nonprofit bills itself as a safe haven for homeless mothers and their newborns. For 4 months, Cook said, she followed the program's rules and worked toward stability.
On October 1, she asked a staff member to watch her 3-month-old son, Brandon Jr., while she took a shower. When she came out, Brandon was alone.
"Per company guidelines, I asked a staff member to monitor my baby while I showered," Cook said. "My son was left unattended in the community space."
Another mother at Maggie's Place, who asked to remain anonymous because she still lives there, told ABC15 she witnessed what happened, saying the staff member left shortly after Cook went to shower, leaving the baby in the common area.
Maggie's Place's own written guidelines, in September 2026, state that no babysitting is permitted of any kind on its property. Cook said when she went looking for the staff member, she was given a written violation, not for the supervision incident, but for how she approached staff about it.
"They actually penalized me for reacting, for just knocking on the door trying to find the staff to figure out what was the reason why my son was left unattended," Cook said.
Cook filed a formal grievance over the incident. Days later, she received a phone call from Residential Operations Director Stephanie Garippa informing her she was being exited from the program due to a third community standards violation, an overheard conversation in the common area that Cook denied being part of.
"Regardless of what exactly you said or didn't say last night," Garippa told Cook in a recorded call, "the situation is that there was a conversation between all of you in which this was happening."
Cook said she never received written notice of the third violation. She was told about it by phone.
She was given until 6 p.m. that same day to collect her belongings. When asked if she had housing, Dasha told Garippa she had nowhere to go, and that she only had a resource sheet from the day before. The recording and her text messages show Garippa never followed up with a hotel or other housing options. Maggie's Place confirms Dasha was given a resource sheet with other housing options after her second violation.
"I feel like this is retaliation," Cook said on the recorded call. "It's me for making a grievance form and for coming forward about the situation of my son being neglected."
In a statement, Maggie's Place confirmed the exit followed a third violation of its community standards, the first for breaking curfew, the second for how Cook approached staff after finding her son unattended.
The organization said it has since updated its child supervision policy. Staff members are now required to verbally or physically hand a child back to the mother before stepping away.
"We have updated written policies to reflect that a verbal and/or physical handoff to the mother is required any time a staff member has agreed to watch a child, even if the mother is present," the statement reads. "This updated policy has been communicated to all staff members."
Cook said the policy change does not help her and Brandon, who is now 4 months old.
"I was supposed to be there till my baby was one year," Cook said. "Just having this precious little baby in my arms with nowhere to go, it just sucks."
Cook said she would like to return to the program. Maggie's Place told ABC15 she cannot re-enter the residential program but is eligible for alumni services, and that the organization is willing to help connect her with other housing options.
Cook is currently staying with a family member but lacks stable housing. She has applied for assistance through a HUD housing waiting list.
ABC15 will continue to follow this story.
"This story was reported on-air by Kamilah Williams and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
