Children and Youth Services

Simpson’s approach to working with families is strength-based, responsive, and holistic. All parents in our program work directly with a Family Advocate who focus on locating and retaining stable, affordable housing, and attaining personal goals related to financial stability, education, or employment. The mission of our Children and Youth Services programs is to break the generational cycle of homelessness by partnering with parents to support children’s academic success, stability, and well-being.

For youth in our programs, these opportunities are rare or non-existent due to barriers such as finances, lack of transportation, or limited adult engagement in their lives. Many are screened out of traditional mentoring or out of school programs due to these barriers.

In Fiscal Year 2017/2018, 150 children participated in Simpson’s Children and Youth Services Programs. 

Simpson’s dual focus on family support and children’s programming is unique among organizations providing services to families experiencing homelessness. Dedicated advocates help connect parents to our Children and Youth Services Programs:

Early Childhood Program: 

The Early Childhood Program uses a home visiting model to promote the healthy development of young children and their families. Goals for the program include on-track developmental growth, parental engagement in literacy and language activities, along with placement in high-quality childcare. Staff partners with parents to provide the support and resources to ensure their children are ready for kindergarten through a combination of wellness, developmental, and educational support services. 

Passage Tutoring Program: 

Educational support advocates and highly trained literacy volunteers work closely with children and families to improve reading and academic skills through weekly tutoring specifically designed to meet the needs of each individual student. Goals for the program include improved academic performance, increased attendance, improved self-efficacy, and strong parental involvement in their child’s education. 

Mentoring and Youth Development Program: 

For school-aged children in our Family Housing Program we offer two mentoring programs, one for students grade K-5th with a focus on literacy skills and one for students grades 5-8th focusing on leadership and personal exploration. The Mentoring and Youth Development Programs pair youth with highly qualified volunteer mentors for weekly meetings that explore mentees’ areas of interest in academics and enrichment opportunities to help them build skills in a supportive relationship with caring adults. 

 

Success Stories

At Simpson, we support the healthy development and educational success of the children, youth, and families in our program. Read about our volunteer mentors and how they support our children and youth.

Meet Jerome, Simpson Middle School Mentor

Meet Mallory, Simpson Literacy Mentor

 

Volunteer with C & YS

There are a variety of ways to get involved with Children and Youth Services. We’re always looking for volunteer tutors and mentors to forge lasting relationships with youth transitioning out of homelessness. Simpson volunteers bring their own unique strengths to the youth we serve, but all our tutors and mentors believe in the inherent potential of youth. Volunteers in all of our programs receive training and regular staff support throughout the year. Mentors and tutors choose the age group, level of structure, and degree of scheduling flexibility that’s right for them.

A note during COVID-19: Simpson prioritizes in-person contact in relationships.  However, during the pandemic, it may not always be safe for mentors and mentees to meet in person.  Following state and local guidelines, Simpson mentors should be prepared to engage in virtual meetings with their mentee, modified in-person meetings following additional health and safety guidelines, or a combination of both.

As of August 2020, Simpson’s policy is that mentors meet with their mentees over Zoom or another approved video platform, with the expectation that they will transition to in-person meetings as soon as it is safe to do so.  Training on using video platforms, online safety expectations, and Simpson’s process for deciding when to approve in-person meetings will be provided.

For questions or more information, please contact the Children & Youth Programs Manager Jocelyn Pickreign at jpickreign@old.simpsonhousing.org.

The first step to becoming a volunteer is to attend an information session where you’ll learn more about the different opportunities and our strategies for success.  Click here for information on upcoming session dates.