Where We’ve Been – Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness for the Next Generation

Identifying affordable childcare as the primary obstacle for homeless families to become self-sufficient, the Junior League of Atlanta founded the Atlanta Children’s Shelter in 1986 as a free childcare program. Since then, services have expanded to address case management, employment, peer support, housing, financial crisis, healthcare, nutrition, mentorship and life skills. Almost 8,000 children have been served. We offer an effective, holistic approach to on-site client care Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Midtown with three classrooms for up to 40 infants, toddlers and preschoolers at a time.

Homeless children risk traumatic stress, developmental delays, acute illnesses, hunger, emotional and behavioral problems, exposure to violence and experience low high school graduation rates. Unfortunately, demand for our services exceeds supply. The Atlanta Children’s Shelter recognizes its unique position of having a strong and diverse donor base and a program that has achieved successful outcomes for homeless families for 25 years. We are therefore embarking on a Children’s Capacity Building Project. 

WHERE WE'RE GOING BY 2014

The goal of the Children’s Capacity Building Project is to enhance and expand services for homeless children and their families. It entails:

• Creating a Parent Resource Center with the addition of over 2,000 square feet in our Midtown facility to optimize family stabilization and self-sufficiency through:
  • A dedicated job lab in which clients can work with ACS Employment Counselors in skills assessment, job training and job searches.
  • A medical examination room to be used by our partner, Community Advanced Practice Nurses, to provide health exams and routine shots for children and parents.
  • A dedicated training room where clients can take money management, literacy, and GED classes, and receive additional services to overcome obstacles to self-sufficiency.
• Increasing the number of homeless children served by 50% through the creation of classroom space for homeless children in Gwinnett County. Of all Metro Atlanta communities, Gwinnett County, with a heightened poverty rate, increased unemployment and significant lack of homeless service providers, has the largest gap between demand for homeless services for children and supply.
• Maximizing early childhood education for the children we serve by undergoing accreditation with the National Association for the Education of Young Children and licensing with Georgia’s Bright from the Start program. These rigorous steps will ensure that children are afforded the highest quality teachers, class curriculum, supportive services and classroom space to prepare them for school.
• Creating data tools to baseline client needs and child development. Ongoing data evaluation tools for Self-Sufficiency, Family Data, Job Track (employment) and Aftercare (housing) will improve our service delivery and enable us to achieve better data-driven client outcomes.
• Strengthening our future sustainability through fundraising staff build-up, long-term development plans, information technology improvements, ongoing use of appropriate social media and continuous staff and board development.