Program:
Programs
- Budget:
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$4,138,311
- Category:
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Youth Development
- Population Served:
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Children Only (5 - 14 years)
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Youth/Adolescents only (14 - 19 years)
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Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
Program Description:
Friends of the Children - Portland provides paid, professional mentors (Friends) to at-risk children in the Portland Metropolitan area - children at highest risk for school failure, involvement in the juvenile justice system, teen parenting and perpetuating the cycle of poverty present in their families. Each child receives an average of sixteen hours per month of direct services and one-on-one time with their Friend. Friends work individually with children to set goals, teach life skills, model healthy behavior and problem solving skills, instill positive attitudes, nurture interests and talents and expose them to new places and experiences. We select our children in kindergarten and stay with them until high school graduation - a 12 1/2-year commitment. Friends of the Children - Portland currently serves nearly 375 low-income, at-risk children throughout the Portland metropolitan area. Through no fault of their own, each child selected for our program faces many challenges that most of us cannot imagine, placing them at highest need of the support of a caring, stable, adult role model: - 93% qualify for free or reduced lunch; - >50% are known to have been impacted by domestic violence; - 70% have at least one parent with a known history of substance abuse; - 60% have a parent with a known history of incarceration; - nearly 50% have had a report of abuse or neglect filed on their behalf; - Less than half have a biological father involved in their life; 76% of which have a known history of incarceration.
Program Long-Term Success:
85% of our graduates have earned a high school diploma or GED while more than 50% of our youth have a parent that did not complete high school.
95% have avoided the juvenile justice system despite at least 60% having one or more parents who have been incarcerated.
99% of adolescents avoid early parenting despite at least 60% having been born to a teen parent.
Program Short-Term Success:
Friends of the Children is dedicated to enabling all of our youth to achieve academic success. All children are enrolled in an online early literacy curriculum, called StudyDog, immediately upon entering the Friends program. 25% of the time Friends spend with children in kindergarten through fifth grade is focused on School Success. Through our efforts in early literacy and math skills development, we help our children achieve at the same or better rate than their school peers.
Program Success Monitored by:
Friends of the Children – Portland has partnered with NPC Research for annual third party program evaluation. Existing internal tracking systems capture services to our program youth, including demographic data, contact time with Friends, and participation in educational, leadership, and recreational activities. NPC Research collects and analyzes additional results-based data from schools, parents, Friends and children (grades 6-12). Using rigorous evaluation standards, NPC prepares an annual report of program intermediate and long-term outcomes.
Program Success Examples:
One of our thriving graduates, Patrick, has come a long way since he entered the program. Patrick had a very unstable start in life. His mother was in an out of substance abuse treatment and his father was virtually unknown. Patrick’s aunt and uncle welcomed him and his siblings into their home but had a difficult time meeting the basic needs of a blended family of eight children. During Patrick’s kindergarten year, he experienced the passing of his uncle, the only father figure he had known. Soon after, Patrick was selected for Friends of the Children, where he met his Friend, Carlos, and the two began their journey together.
With Patrick’s family caught in a seemingly endless cycle of addiction and crime, it was difficult for him to believe that he deserved something better and to feel confident in his ability to forge a more positive path for himself. Carlos knew it would take time to help Patrick develop self confidence, and searched for creative ways to bring positive experiences into Patrick’s life. When Patrick was just 12, the two signed up for the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic, known as the STP. This 200 mile bike ride is not for the faint of heart! When training began, even the smallest hill would lead Patrick to an impassioned, “I can’t do it!”
“I know you’re not a quitter,” Carlos would respond encouragingly. Eventually, Patrick began to attempt hills, but as soon as it got difficult he would stop and get off the bike – the physical challenges seeping through to his emotions. Time after time, day after day, Carlos accompanied him back to the bottom of each hill to try again, telling him, “If you can make it up this hill, you can do any hill on the STP.” Though Patrick faced many emotions and struggles on the two-day ride, he biked every mile and crossed the finish line with pride. Carlos was right by his side.
Last June, Patrick graduated from high school and was accepted to the University of Oregon. At the Friends of the Children graduation ceremony, he turned to Carlos in front of the audience to speak from the heart: “Thank you for always turning the negative into a positive, teaching character and discipline. I wouldn’t be here with out you.” Patrick truly fulfills the aspirations of this program and demonstrates the potent belief that resiliency comes from the power of relationship.
In January, Patrick was asked to speak in front of a crowd of more than 500 people at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on the University of Oregon campus. He recited a poem he wrote called “Speak Up”, which contained the lines:
“I refuse to give the world another stereotype.
I refuse to have my children and their children grow up in a world where they can’t be proud of me.”