We provide paid, professional mentors, called Friends, to children starting between the ages of 4 and 6 and we stay with them for 12+ years until they graduate high school. These children, who have already faced significant adversity in their short lives, are guided to avoid the juvenile justice system, wait to parent until after their teen years, earn a high school diploma and go on to enroll in post-secondary education, serve our country or enter the workforce with a living wage job.
Every child, no matter who they are or where they live, has dreams of doing big things. The children enrolled in our program dream big with support from our professional mentors, called Friends. Our youth go on to become leaders in their communities and successful in their careers. This has ripple effects on their siblings, peers, neighbors, and their children, breaking the cycle of generational poverty.
Our goal is to provide long-term, consistent mentoring services to children facing adversity in our community and break the cycle of generational poverty for them and their families.
83% of our youth graduate from high school, although 80% of their parents did not. 93% avoid the juvenile justice system, although 50% of their parents have been incarcerated.
“Friends of the Children provided things that I didn’t even know I needed. The support that the caregiver gets is amazing. I’ve seen a dramatic change in Landon—dramatic change— day and night.” — Emilia Cruz (caregiver)
Phone: (719) 649-6438