ChildHope
Families with children make up an increasingly large proportion of the homeless population. Housing Hope focuses its housing and service programs on families with children.
The Impact of Homelessness on Children
Children in homeless families typically suffer as a result of:
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housing instability
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lack of resources related to inadequate family income
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lack of positive support systems
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ineffective coping mechanisms
We know that this experience often leaves them with significant developmental and emotional delays that can impact their futures. Early intervention helps these children succeed in school and in life.
Families who come to Housing Hope have a chance to rebuild their lives and give their children brighter futures. Parents are supported to gain skills and access resources necessary to help their children have healthy childhoods, meet developmental milestones, and become thriving adults.
ChildHope offers brighter futures
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Housing Hope takes special care to make sure homeless children receive the support they need. We provide safe, nurturing and affordable environments for children—in the home, in the housing complex, through a complement of services, by having two Child and Family Specialists and a Child Psychologist on staff, and by providing child development services of the highest quality.
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Four components make up the ChildHope program, giving participants the best chances to succeed.
1 .
In-Home Child & Family Specialist
Child and Family Specialists are available to serve family housing units throughout Snohomish County, as well as children at Tomorrow's Hope Child Development Center a HopeWorks Social Enterprise. The Specialist provides assessment, interventions, parent coaching, and referral to specialty agencies and school liaison assistance to parents. The Specialist also serves as a community engagement coordinator with the school districts, community partners, and agencies.
2.
Parent Education at College of Hope
The agency’s College of Hope program offers a series of evening courses in its ‘Family Life’ education academy. These courses are offered at five sites: Everett, Lynnwood, Monroe, Stanwood and Smokey Point. Transportation for homeless families is provided to the Everett site. Each evening begins with a meal designed to model economical and nutritious meals and family dining.
3.
Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center
Tomorrow's Hope a HopeWorks Social Enterprise operates a licensed center with 112 slots serving children 4 weeks to 12 years of age. The center provides transportation; a nutrition program with breakfast, lunch, and two snacks daily; a once-a-week health clinic, and a Head Start classroom for 4 year olds. The program has staff and teachers with varying educational levels, including several with advanced degrees.
4.
Homeless Teen & Young Parents at New Century Village
Provides 23 subsidized independent living apartments dedicated to homeless young moms aged 16 to 24 years and their babies. Two full-time Case Managers specialize in providing a comprehensive program of support to residents. A tailored series of College of Hope parenting and life skills classes are provided on site. Volunteers provide childcare, so that all parents at this site can participate in life skills education classes.
Improving School Attendance
Children and youth experiencing homelessness have some of the highest rates of absenteeism and the lowest achievement scores. Many barriers impact these students' attendance and success, and it's hard for schools and teachers to overcome them alone. It's important that we build trust, belonging, and connectedness with families. Educational success is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness.
The Improving School Attendance Collaborative (ISA) removes barriers to school attendance and success for families experiencing homelessness. This bold approach recognizes that solving an issue like generational poverty or homelessness requires collaborative solutions and system change.
We provide intensive case management and wrap-around support with the help of schools and community partners. These services help improve the health, well-being, and stability of families. We also engage school staff in a Professional Learning Series each school year. During these 5, 2-hour sessions, we create better relationships with families and help support trauma-sensitive classrooms. We aim to improve family stability and put systems in place to ensure that every child experiencing transition has an equal chance for success in school and beyond.
Tomorrow's Hope
A HopeWorks Social Enterprise
Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center opened in 1992 to provide parents access to daycare while they could focus on gaining housing and pursuing employment or education.
Serving children from four weeks to 12 years old, the Center provides high-quality child development services to children and their parents and is the only licensed child development facility in Snohomish County specifically designed to meet the needs of families experiencing or have experienced homelessness or poverty.​
Learning Both Ways
Wraparound services means that children are learning valuable skills while parents get the support they need to be role models. Learning from each other, families grow and thrive together.
Not Just Daycare
Tomorrow's Hope offers comprehensive social, educational, and emotional support not traditionally provided at daycare including:
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Developmental Support | An in-house, part-time School Psychologist assesses the children's development, provides interventions for kindergarten readiness, and helps teachers use best practice strategies. An expertly trained Child and Family Specialist assists in designing classroom interventions, is available for immediate one-on-one intervention, provides parent coaching and community referrals, and serves as a community engagement coordinator. Additionally, a ChildStrive Parent Educator provides on-site support for teachers to share their challenges and successes. She can also help facilitate connecting families to more targeted areas of support.
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Health & Nutrition | At Tomorrow's Hope, we strive to teach our children the fun and interactive ways to lead a healthy life, exploring diverse meals from around the globe while learning about other cultures and supporting a healthy immune system and brain development. A voluntary Kids’ Clinic is available for health assessments, check-ups, and immunizations. Stellar Kids Dentistry visits quarterly to demonstrate good oral health. Washington State Smile Partners visit our preschool, pre-k, and Head Start classrooms to do dental check-ups and cleanings.
Tomorrow's Hope Child Development Center
5910 Evergreen Way • Everett, WA 98203
425.212.3255
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