Priority 1 – Children, Youth and Families

The stability of the family and development of children and youth is the top priority for our local United Way.   Long-term prevention is an over-arching goal, but United Way must balance this with continued support of the safety net for basic, intervention, and crisis needs.   The focus areas are:

•  Basic Needs – adequate and affordable housing; healthcare including mental health; employment; and safety.

•  Crisis Intervention – family violence; emergency food and shelter.

•  Education – to foster education including school readiness/early childhood education (early learning and literacy skills); mentoring, guidance, and support for academic success; and building parent support, involvement, and understanding.