All That Kids Can Be
Every child deserves the chance to grow up with support to reach their potential, so they can thrive in adulthood.
The Challenge
Reasons We Care
Experiences in childhood shape who we are and set the stage for who we become and, for some local children, growing up isn’t easy. Challenges can begin before a child even steps into school for the first time.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic or stressful experiences that may happen in a person’s life before the age of 18. This can include; abuse, neglect, discrimination, living in poverty, exposure to community violence, and systemic racism.
ACEs are common and can affect anyone, regardless of their gender, level of education, occupation, income, neighbourhood, or culture. Experiencing ACEs in childhood can increase the risks of negative health outcomes later in life.
What We Can Do, Together.
Children are born with limitless potential. Yet too many children lack the support they need to realize their full potential. Our goal is to build resilience in children and youth through emotional well-being — because we know that helping to prevent and mitigate Adverse Childhood Experiences is both urgent and foundational to lifelong potential.
United Way provides funding to a service network of community partners who collaborate to support those who have experienced adversities. Our network supports wrap-around children, youth, and their families to build protective factors, mitigate the effects of adversity, and empower children and youth to reach their full potential.
By working together via this unique network, partners can ensure children, youth, and their families are aware of services, referred directly to programs, and have increased access to a network of appropriate and impactful support.
These include:
- Mentoring programs to improve social skills and relationships with others
- Literacy programs to increase skills, self-esteem, and build a sense of belonging
- Education programs to assist youth in getting their high school diploma
- Leadership development programs to build social skills, employability, and create positive friendships and relationships
- Anti-bullying programs to build social inclusion and parental supports
- Court support services for victims of abuse or crime to build resiliency and reduce trauma
Together, with your investments, we’re investing in kids from early childhood to young adulthood to ensure they have everything they need to thrive today, and in the future.
