On the surface, all of our programs primarily target adults. Even our Open Arms Child Care is essentially a program that helps clients continue to work or attend job training, by providing safe, affordable child care. But the majority of our clients have minor children, and the fact is they benefit as much if not even more from our services and support as their parents do.
That knowledge is never far from my thoughts, but I was reminded of it again by a compelling article on the Huffington Post by Marion Wright Edelman – http://tinyurl.com/6mpjbnq. Edelman is renowned as a tough-as-nails advocate for children’s well-being in our country, and is the president of the Children’s Defense Fund. In it, she shares startling data from the Census Bureau indicating that over half of the children in the US – a stunning 56.7% – live in households that are financially strapped, where parents struggle to put enough food on the table, keep the heat turned on, keep the rent paid.
At Pilgrims’ Inn, we know the catastrophic effects that chronic poverty and the seemingly endless stream of stressful, difficult situations that assault a struggling family can have on children. When we catch up the rent and utilities for an adult who has fallen into hard times, we are also keeping her kids in their own, safe home. When we invite a distraught, single mom into our shelter, we are also keeping her kids off the street. Parents who carry a bag of groceries home from our emergency food pantry use it to feed their hungry sons and daughters. Furthermore, while our child care program is a normal, state-licensed pre-school, we also provide our teachers with additional training that enables them to recognize that a child may be struggling with some of the potential effects of chronic poverty – learning disorders, developmental delays, physical or mental health problems, and more. Often it is our teachers who first initiate the process of finding help for these children at a very early stage in a difficulty, while it can still be reversed.
Another benefit of our child care center – we work very closely with the Rock Hill School district, and shape our curriculum so that every “graduating” 4-year-old has achived all of the necessary benchmarks such as knowing their colors, numbers, how to write their name, etc. in order to at an equal developmental level with thier school mates as they enter kindergarten. Studies show that being behind even at this early level can set the tone for struggles – and failures – for the rest of that child’s school career. Instead of a string of failures, we set up our kids for success.
Furthermore, every child who is part of any of our programs has the option of working with our master’s level children’s counselor, Carol Bennett. She not only provides extraordinary emotional support to the kids, she also helps parents learn good ways of dealing with problematic situations. We also have a team of staff certified to teach “Triple P” (Positive Parenting Practices) classes on loving, effective ways for parents to nurture, support, and – when necessary – discipline their children.
I often tell my staff here that we will never see the majority of the impact our work has. Because for every family we help stabilize by helping parents complete GED’s, acquire job skills, find gainful employment, learn better budgeting skills, improve their physical and mental health, and connect to community resources and more, we increase the likelihood that their children will graduate high school and perhaps attend college; avoid drug and alcohol abuse; avoid adolescent pregnancy or involvement in crime. Which means as adults, their families may never have to experience the spectre of chronic impoverishment and instability that they survived as children.
There are many ways you can help us make life a little less tough for the kids that we serve – give us a call and let’s talk.
