Today, Thursday May 11, 2023, Cinnamon Girl is donating $1-a-Bun to Youth & Family Outreach (YFO), an early care and education program serving Portland children & families since 1850.
Who is YFO
Youth & Family Outreach is an early care and education program that transforms the lives of young children and supports parent workforce participation to build a stronger and more vibrant community. At YFO, families receive quality early care and education for their young children, and comprehensive parent and family support from a range of business and service partners. We currently have 58 slots for children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years.
Who does YFO Serve?
- YFO currently serves 58 infants, toddlers and preschoolers within an annual operating budget of $789,000 and after expansion will serve 107 children for $1.3 million of a sustainable annual operating budget.
- A minimum of 60% of our slots are reserved for children living in low to moderate income households,
- 40% of slots are available to families paying private tuition.
- 33% of children served have identified special needs or mental/behavioral health needs.
- 50% of children and families are people of color/non-white.
- 95% of families are working; 5% are either in school or job training
How does YFO impact the Greater Portland community?
First and foremost YFO’s impact on the community is with the families we serve. By providing quality care for children, families are able to both enter and stay in the workforce or further their education, which sets them up to care for the foundational needs and aspirations of their family.
Additionally, high quality care for Portland’s youngest minds sets the stage for a thriving community. Research shows that children who attend quality early care and education centers like YFO, enter kindergarten ready to succeed with their peers: meaning less need for intervention services and increased rates of graduation.
Creating a strong foundation for families is key to a successful two-generational approach to end poverty, and is the root of who YFO is. By supporting families and children together, we can all continue to live, work, and thrive as a community for years to come.
Youth and Family Outreach has a rich, unwavering history of meeting the needs of Portland’s children and families. Since its origins in 1844 as a community outreach mission of the Portland Ministries at Large, the agency has focused its efforts on a serving the community with compassion. YFO currently operates an early care and education facility which was established in 1986.
History
Starting in 1853 with the establishment of Maine’s first adult education school, to the Pride Training School for intellectually disabled children, to a credit union for the local poor, to the Beacon Teen Center for homeless youth, the agency has risen to meet critical community needs of the time. All of this was made possible through the generosity of Mary Deering Preble who donated land and funds for the construction of a chapel to the Portland Ministry and First Parish Society of Portland. The only condition was that this facility, which was completed in 1852, would always welcome and serve the needs of the local poor. The mission continues on this site to this very day.
Lets Donate Today!
Cinnamon Girl is donating $1-A-Bun to this wonderful organization today! Please stop by from 10-2 on Back Cove across from Hannaford!
