Imagine That You are a Homeless Child

Your day begins early — the night shelter where you and your mother are staying wakes you up, feeds you breakfast — then you are out the door, carrying all that your family owns. Perhaps your mother has found a part-time job, but can't afford childcare. You are scared to death when she goes off to work, for there's no place to go. There's little money for food, no place to wash your hands, no clean clothes. You spend your day wandering the streets until one of the night shelters opens again. If there is room, you and your mom will have a place to sleep one more night.

It is no wonder that homeless children are seriously at risk for an array of physical and emotional problems. The Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless estimates that there are 13,000 homeless people in metro Atlanta, 25% of which are homeless families — and they especially need the services of shelters.

Making a Difference in a Child's Life
Our loving, professional child care workers, social workers and volunteers believe in the vulnerability of the child and the hope for their future. We provide comfort, safety, love, reassurance . . . and a hug when needed. We also provide the more tangible life threads:

• Daily nutritional meals and snacks, served piping hot with a smile,
  
• Clean clothing and large doses of individual attention to make each child feel special,
  
• Biweekly, on-site well-child checks, plus immunizations and referrals for primary health care,
  
• Cultural and enrichment activities, including weekly field trips to Fernback, the Atlanta Zoo and other fun places children love and thrive on, and
  
• Educational opportunities that are customized to the particular needs of homeless children.

Ours is a safe haven, completely free of charge, for as long as a child needs us!

Comprehensive Social Services for the Family
The Atlanta Children's Shelter recognizes that breaking the cycle of homelessness requires an intensive, whole family approach. Our professional social workers are skilled at working with homeless families and their unique situations and needs. Families who come to our Shelter are assisted in finding jobs, locating affordable housing, interacting with other social service agencies, and dealing with personal, legal or domestic difficulties. We provide a full range of social services for our families, including:

• Housing Aid
  
• Job Search Help
  
• Parenting Classes
  
• Legal Aid
  
• Self Esteem Classes
  
• Medical Attention
  
• Personal Counseling
  
• Financial Management Counseling

Our goal is to help families achieve long term self sufficiency - to break the cycle of homelessness permanently, so they never again need to turn to Atlanta homeless shelters.

ACS Program Model