Horizons for Homeless Children

Happy Thanksgiving from Horizons!

In this season of gratitude, we want to let you know how thankful we are for your support. Gifts from you and other members of our community helped Horizons provide children with a strong developmental foundation, offer essential support to families, and create a welcoming space as they strive for stability. We couldn’t do this without you, and we are truly grateful for your commitment, year after year.??

Horizons is full of expertise, and recently our Supervising Infant Teacher, Herbert Hickey M.Ed., had the opportunity to attend the annual National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference. He presented on a topic about which he’s passionate and knowledgeable: using current research to inform practices in infant classrooms. In his presentation he shared how making the classroom environment comfortable and full of rich experiences for infants must be done intentionally by educators and leads to foundational learning and brain building. Thank you for representing the work we do at Horizons, Herb!?

“By nurturing their storytelling abilities and providing a supportive environment, we’re not just teaching them to read and write; we’re helping them build confidence, express themselves, and dream of a bright future.” Discover how Horizons encourages storytelling and dramatic play to promote literacy and emotional growth for children facing homelessness: https://lnkd.in/eMvB8eVd

Delvin is a preschooler at Horizons. His favorite food is bread and during lunch he gets creative and tries to make whatever is on the menu into a sandwich.? Last year, we served over 103,000 meals and healthy snacks?to children in our early education center to account for 80% of their daily nutrition.? The season of giving is beginning and #GivingTuesday is right around the corner. Get a jump on your holiday giving at the link below!? https://lnkd.in/eXDmyveg

Take a peek inside this beloved Playspace! On Monday and Wednesday evenings, this room is filled with joy, laughter, and excitement thanks to a dedicated team of Playspace Activity leaders in the South Shore. Want to join the fun? Become a PAL! We’re expected to open new locations across the state and each program will need 10+ volunteers to get started. Without PAL volunteers, children living in shelter lose vital access to developmentally-appropriate play in our Playspaces. New volunteers must complete an online application, attend a virtual training session, and consent to a CORI background check. Upcoming volunteer trainings are scheduled for Monday, December 2 at 6 p.m. and Tuesday, January 7 at 6 p.m. Learn more and sign up at https://lnkd.in/eJXycC9y.

Horizons supports policies that recognize and compensate #earlychildhood (EC) educators for their impactful work, complex skills, and considerable experience, as highlighted by a recent Vox article. ? Yet, EC educators throughout the US are paid poverty wages, representing the 10th lowest-paid occupation out of 750 occupations. With a $13.71 median hourly wage, skilled EC educators often flee to comparable, but better compensated, roles with drastic consequences on the quality of care provided in EC centers. ? Washington DC’s Pay Equity program -- and similar programs throughout the country -- supplement educator's wages to boost recruitment, retention, and quality. Beyond the classroom, wage supplements advance equity in a sector predominantly populated by women, particularly women of color. ? The article highlights the importance of skilled and properly compensated EC educators, a value Horizons has long recognized in our classrooms and supported through our advocacy. https://lnkd.in/gGGbDsit

We want to work with you! Horizons Playspace team is looking to hire an Assistant Director and a Playspace Specialist to support 60+ programs across the state. The Assistant Director will oversee all aspects of the Playspace Program — supervision and team management, volunteer support and outreach, program partnerships and development — to ensure children in Massachusetts homeless shelters have access to developmentally appropriate play. The Playspace Specialist will facilitate the daily management of Playspace shifts at shelter-based programs in Greater Boston-Southeast, ensuring smooth operation and addressing any immediate volunteer needs or concerns. This includes maintaining volunteer records, overseeing the upkeep and restocking of Playspaces, providing resources to volunteers, and visiting shifts to engage with volunteers, children and families. Please visit horizonschildren.org?to learn more and apply. We hope to hear from you soon!

Volunteer with Horizons and boost children’s self-confidence by creating joyful play experiences for kids experiencing homelessness.? Learn more! https://lnkd.in/dnVGgGFe

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month and one of our early educators, Mikia Coles, wanted to share her experience, help educate others, and raise awareness about testing. It sparked the idea of creating a Horizons brunch to bring together community and share information and stories of loved ones affected. Recognizing that this grassroots effort was one worth supporting, the teaching community,?Human Resources team, and Employee Resource Groups stepped up to fund the food provided by the talented Chef Reyes of Boston Food Plugg. Thank you, Mikia, for embracing Horizons values by creating a place to honor our individual experiences while building understanding and empathy for one another.