Baby, Children, and Youth Supports

Program Overview

On average, 70 children of all ages reside with their families at Jane Addams Place. Moving to a shelter can be traumatizing for a child. They have moved away from social supports like family, friends, and neighbors. They arrive in shelter impacted by the events that led the family into homelessness, and they feel the effects of their caregiver’s stress. Living in shelter also presents many challenges for teens. We help children of all ages with emotional skill strengthening, stress management, and school support so when children leave shelter they feel supported and ready to continue accomplishing their goals.   

We support the unique needs of children and teens of all ages. We provide onsite support for maternal health, post-natal, and nursing support and resources for parents and newborns. We make connections and referrals to Early Intervention Services so that babies and toddlers in Jane Addams Place are thriving. For school-aged children, we provide school advocacy on a local and national level, making sure that children are receiving all the rights afforded to them under the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which ensures that experiencing homelessness does not interrupt a child’s education.  
 
Programming such as homework help and tutoring through one of our community partnerships gives our families education enrichment and support to succeed in school. Year-round field trips for families, and on-site activities with volunteers bring a fun and hands on approach to learning and family engagement. We also have a full-time trauma therapist on site to help children process their experiences and to prepare for life after shelter. 

Quick Escape