Children's Services

Over the past ten years, new faces have appeared among the population of the homeless. A disturbing number of these are families with two or more children. The reality is that more and more children are literally growing up in homeless shelters. Eighty to one hundred children, along with their parents, make their home at the Missouri Hotel, The Kitchen’s emergency shelter facility. To address this challenge, more children and family services were developed, as well as the expansion of care at the Family Nurturing Center in order to meet the needs of infants, todlers, preschoolers and school-age youth. It is imperative that our families have a safe and nurturing place to leave their children as they address the many issues that arise when families lose their homes. Homelessness creates the trauma and stress that is overwhelming for every family member, including the children.
Our own dedicated staff and counselors work with a network of other local agencies in order to minister to the many complex needs of our families. How do we manage to meet all of these challenges? The reality is that we cannot stand by and do nothing for these homeless children, and we operate solely on grants, private donations, fundraisers, in-kind donations, and especially the gift of volunteer time. Please take some time today to pray or ponder about what you may be able to do for the least of these—the children.

WE can do nothing without YOUR help, and no gift is too small.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Thank You,

Sister Sheryl
Children Services

Overview

  • A disturbing number of homeless are families with two or more children, 1.5 million and growing.
  • Part of the difficulty for these families is the ability to afford child care while the parents work or look for work.
  • The Family Nurturing Center provides a safe environment for the children and youth.
  • The Children's Services provides parenting classes, counseling and child therapy as well.