WHAT WE DO

Children & Youth Strategy

Children and Youth Reach Their Full Potential

While United Way is committed to helping all children grow up great, we recognize that children who face obstacles to success require our special attention. These include children and youth who:

  • come from or have unstable homes
  • are in the care of the state
  • are living on the streets
  • are Aboriginal
  • are involved in the criminal justice system
  • struggle with language and other immigration issues, or
  • are dealing with the challenges of substance abuse

The overarching goal is to ensure successful transitions for these children and youth. To this end, United Way invests in high quality, high impact programs and initiatives for children and youth.  In addition, our strategy focuses on systems level change through research, advocacy and collaborative initiatives. These efforts are intended to get at the root causes of vulnerability and to support longer-term social change.

 

Research-based components of the issue

Efforts need to be focused in four areas to support children and youth in reaching to reach their full potential and successfully transition to adulthood:

School Readiness (By Kindergarden): Research shows that gaps in school readiness are associated with socioeconomic status, parenting practices, literacy levels and lack of parental involvement with reading.

Success in Middle Childhood: The middle years are essential to a child’s development. This is a time when children need to be engaged by school and supported to acquire new competencies and skills, and learn how to get along with others.

High School Completion: Youth who graduate from high school are more likely to pursue further education or get a job.

Successful Launch into Adulthood: Young adults who have access to a mentor and are supported to further their education or apprentice in a trade are more likely to find sustainable employment. They tend to have more options when the employment market changes and are more resilient in times of economic decline.

Check out the Request for Proposals for the 2011 Vulnerable Youth Investment Strategy-Building and Strengthening Healthy Natural Supports for Vulnerable Youth here