Friends Association for Care & Protection of Children
Ending Family Homelessness
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
To promote the independence of families with children by providing shelter, programs and services that prevent and end homelessness in Chester County.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Emergency Family Shelter
Our Emergency Family Shelter program combines a private, safe setting and basic necessities with effective, individualized case management services for homeless families. The shelter houses 6 families experiencing homelessness in one of six apartment units for 60-90 days. Through the case management process, families work to create a housing stability case plan, increase income, and access mainstream benefits. Pregnant women and families with infants are immediately engaged with the Nurse Family Partnership to provide education, health related support, and resource connections. Taking a two-generation approach, we coordinate high quality early learning access (Head Start, Early Head Start) for all children under the age of 5. Our goal is for all the families that access this resource to be able to achieve long-term housing stability. Friends’ Family Center is currently the only low-barrier emergency housing in the county that can house entire family units together through their time of crisis. Although located in West Chester, we assist families from anywhere in Chester County
Homeless Prevention Program
Homelessness Prevention Programs provide community-based services and eviction prevention for families that balance financial assistance, landlord mediation, and case management for 12-18 months to support economic self-sufficiency and the resiliency of families.
Friends Association took the lead in the community by initiating an Eviction Prevention Court (EPC) Pilot Program that aims to prevent homelessness stemming from COVID-19. Beginning on September 1, 2020, the program is the first of its kind in Chester County and the only service to offer free legal representation, financial assistance, and social service support to individuals and families facing eviction. Friends knows that it makes moral, financial, and practical sense to keep community members in their homes when at all possible. Studies have repeatedly shown community-wide benefits from eviction prevention, some showing $12+ benefit for every $1 of investment. Starting in one court, District Court 15-4-02 (Downingtown), the program has now expanded to serve two additional courts in the county, Magisterial District Court 15-1-03 and Magisterial District Court 15-1-05 (Coatesville, South Coatesville, and Valley Township). Within the next fiscal year, Friends plans to expand to an additional three courts with a long-term goal of expanding to serve the entire county.
Eviction Prevention Court(EPC)
Friends’ Eviction Prevention Court Program (EPC) is a pilot project designed to assist vulnerable families and individuals who have been pushed to the brink of homelessness by unforeseen hardships and limited resources. The program provides free legal and social services support on the day of an eviction hearing. Financial assistance may also be provided to prevent evictions, with connections to long-term financial and social supports to prevent future housing instability. The program is voluntary and will pilot in the District Court in Downingtown and expand to other Chester County Courts based on outcomes and funding availability.
Housing Stability Case Management
Through our Housing Stability Program, long-term case management is available for families recently moved to permanent housing from any emergency housing in the county. Families receive 6-12 months of case management, which includes a housing stability case plan, linkages to supportive services, Prepared Renters Program, and budgeting. This service aims to support families through the critical first months in long-term housing to ensure success.
NIA House
Nia is Swahili for “purpose” and at NIA House, we’ve made it our purpose to reunify formerly incarcerated women with their children, and assist them in securing long-term, stable housing.
We are a unique approach to reentry and family reunification that includes a gender-specific, trauma-informed care service delivery model. Intense programming and support assist formerly incarcerated women with housing, peer-based sobriety maintenance, education, job training, employment, probation compliance, access to legal services, parenting education, advocacy, and more.
In addition to providing on-site services and support, our strong community partnerships allow us to offer wide-ranging and unique experiences to our residents such as yoga, meditation, art therapy, acupuncture, equine therapy, organic gardening, and community involvement.
We are committed to walking alongside our residents throughout their healing journey; reuniting women with their children in a safe, respectful, secure environment where the family can thrive.
Where we work
External reviews
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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of donations made by board members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We have 100% participation from our board members.
Number of homeless participants engaged in housing services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Related Program
Emergency Family Shelter
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
850 the total number of participants served in the five programs.
Number of households that obtain/retain permanent housing for at least 6 months
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Families work through the four programs to find and retain permanent, well-maintained, affordable housing.
Number of low-income families housed in affordable, well-maintained units as a result of the nonprofit's efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
81 families moved from homelessness to affordable, well-maintained housing through one or more of the programs: Emergency Family Shelter, Homeless Prevention or Outreach to Homeless Families.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Volunteers are used in all aspects of programming allowing Friends Association to serve more people and successfully complete jobs/tasks that we would normally not have the opportunity to complete.
Number of new grants received
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Homeless people
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We apply for an average of 50 grants annually and 20% of those are new grants. Of the new grants applied for annually we have a 50% success rate, which is average for all grant submissions.
Number of children and youth who have received access to stable housing
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
407 children received stable housing based on services received from the Emergency Family Shelter, Outreach to Homeless Families, Housing Stability Case Management, and Homeless Prevention Program.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Homelessness is a national crisis and often overlooked in strategies to address the issue is the invisible crisis of family homelessness. Family homelessness, once viewed as episodic and situational, has become chronic, with families accounting for 37% of the overall homeless population and 50% of the sheltered population (The Bassuk Center on Homeless and Vulnerable Children & Youth). On any given night there are 522 individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Chester County (2020 Point in Time Count Decade to Doorways). And in 2018, 185 families were placed on the emergency housing queue (Decade to Doorways Year End Data Report, 2018).
The primary cause of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing. Across the country, millions of low-income households have serious housing problems due to high housing costs, substandard housing conditions, or both. The median rent in Chester County is $1,393 and 41.3% of renters pay 30% or more of their income on housing costs, as reported by Chester County Dept. of Community Development.
Historically, Friends Association has assisted approximately 100 families each year. Since this time last year, however, we have served over 850 individuals representing over 285 families. 100% of these families have a household income that is less than $88,080. This is a substantial increase due specifically to the COVID-19 pandemic. We anticipate that this increased level of care for the community will remain as those disproportionately affected by the pandemic will recover disproportionately slower. Our newly established Eviction Prevention Court (EPC) Program has already served over 250 households and the need is projected to remain high and increase with the lifting of the CDC moratorium
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Friends Association is deeply engaged in social service provision in Chester County helping to establish and run the County's 10 year plan to prevent and end homelessness: Decade to Doorways.
All programs undergo a weekly review.
All client information is added to and maintained in a county wide service provision database called CCCIMS; this allows us to track a families progress in receiving and accessing services as well as monitoring their use of programs and services county-wide.
Emergency Family Shelter and Outreach to Homeless Families Programs work closely with the County's single point of entry to the homeless social services ConnectPoints.
Homeless Prevention Program also takes referrals through ConnectPoints and from other agencies or self referral.
Housing Services Staff work diligently to develop relationships with area landlords to help create a network of landlords willing to work with families living in poverty.
Collaboration and Coordination with other social service entities is imperative and we work daily to keep connected with our colleagues in other services to ensure that families in our programs are able to seamlessly access all community benefits.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Friends Association addresses the needs of a wide range of families throughout Chester County, from those who are experiencing homelessness to those who are currently housed but in jeopardy of losing their housing, through four pillars of service: Preventing homelessness, Providing emergency housing, Partnering with families to support their stability, and Promoting systemic change. Friends Association programs are designed to enrich the lives of children and families by giving them the space and resources they need to achieve stable housing, economic self-sufficiency, access to educational opportunities and improved overall health and well-being.
Our service delivery includes the following approaches:
• Housing First is a research-based solution to ending homelessness that prioritizes providing housing to individuals experiencing homelessness as quickly as possible without preconditions.
• Two-Generation (2Gen) approaches build family well-being by intentionally and simultaneously working with children and the adults in their lives together.
• Trauma-Informed Care is a service approach that acknowledges the widespread, long-term impacts of trauma, understands signs and symptoms of trauma, and responds by integrating knowledge about trauma into all policies and practices.
• Resiliency Focused communities identify programs and best practices proven to build resiliency at both individual and systemic levels and improve the health of the entire system by promoting restoration, health, and growth in ongoing ways.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In FY21, we served 285 families / 850 individuals throughout our programming directly impacting the Chester County community, children and youth, women-led households, BIPOC communities, and those affected most by the COVID-19 pandemic. Family data is entered in Chester County Client Information Management System (CCCIMS). Information is shared among county contracted agencies and used to track program needs, usage, progress, and future planning. Our internal tracking system captures additional program data, allowing us to evaluate success based on comparative factors such as multiple program usage, combinations of services, mainstream benefits, and education. Families complete exit interviews and receive follow-up at regular intervals.
Measurable outcomes include:
• Families exit shelter to a positive housing situation or permanent housing solution
• Families do not re-enter emergency shelter system
• Families increase income
• Families reduce interaction with public systems
• Families will increase employment stability and/or start P/T or F/T employment, education, or job training programs
• Families are connected to behavioral healthcare (M/H and D&A) resources
• Families are connected to primary medical care
• Families are connected with Nurse Family Partnership Program
• Families screened for Trauma History and provided information
• Children receive pediatric routine care and become current on immunizations
• Families report increased health outcomes
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Friends Association for Care & Protection of Children
Board of directorsas of 06/23/2022
Dr. Barbara Diorio
Dentist
Term: 2021 - 2023
Troy Vogt
Market Street Wealth Management
Leslie Broderick Lavender
Citizens Bank
Frank Monterosso
United BioSource LLC
Stephen Nicolai
Hogan Lovells
Lee Bohs
WC Growth Advisors,LLC
Brian Boreman
Unruh, Turner, Burke & Frees
Yolanda Van de Krol
Chester County
Paige Simmons
Univail-Rodamco-Westfield
Michael Hazley
Hazley Builders
Matt Holiday
Chester County Bar Association
Joseph Keefer
Univest Bank & Trust
Amanda Barton
Barton South Communications
Caroline Cupp
First Presbyterian Church of West Chester
Jeffrey Garrett
Sears/Transformco
Steve E. Jarmon
Lamb, MrErlane, PC
Rebecca Louick
William McGrath
Centric Bank
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 07/27/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.