Breaking the Cycle
The children of a parent with a substance use disorder often suffer silently as their parent struggles with substance use. Multiple episodes of homelessness coupled with the unstable lifestyle associated with parental substance use disorder, have caused sporadic school attendance or multiple school changes during a school year. As a result, they often fall behind in primary subjects and lack the resources to catch up. In addition, many children experience neglect or are removed from their parent’s custody, leading to abandonment issues and attachment disorders.
Children’s Services
In addition to supportive family counseling aimed at strengthening families and overcoming past traumas, Sojourner House and Sojourner House MOMS offer programs to address the specific needs of our child participants.
- All child residents receive a full screening and assessment to identify learning problems and inform individualized intervention plans.
- State-of-the-art Learning Centers, designed and installed by Homeless Children’s Education Fund, provide age-appropriate educational resources for children, youth, and parents. Each center is equipped with computers, educational software, and a lending library, and offers after-school activities that provide educational, social, and emotional support.
- In cooperation with East Liberty Development, Inc. and the Negley Neighborhood Alliance, Sojourner House MOMS spearheaded the development of the MOMS Green Play Yard, a sustainable playground built from recycled materials that replaced two blighted, demolished properties adjacent to our apartment complex.