To effectively care for children, society must understand how poor health, educational underachievement, low self-esteem, inconsistent parenting and untreated behavioral problems can lead to poorly functioning adults who engage in gang violence, drugs, teen pregnancy, and other antisocial behaviors. CYP promotes the broad development of cognitive, behavioral, and social capabilities of youth born into high-risk environments using a multifaceted strategy that is:
Comprehensive: Volunteers staff more than 50 programs from preschool through college. Programs provide one-on-one tutoring, mentoring, recreation, quality health care by volunteer physicians, preschool activities, cultural programs, college/trade school preparation and placement, as well as scholarships. At each stage of a child’s development, CYP offers a package of programs which adapt to their needs and interests. Accessible to At-Risk Youth Long-Term: Recognizing the special needs of our population, all programs are free to youth and provide safe transportation. This, along with home visits, frequent phone calls, and attractive programming, has led to a consistently high yearly rate of retention of youth in the program (>90%) and long-term participation. Exceptionally Efficient: CYP strives to operate programs that make real improvements in the long-term outcomes of at-risk youth in as efficient a manner as possible. Programs operate in donated space and are primarily staffed by over 650 volunteers. Using conservative figures for volunteer time, donated space and donated materials, CYP estimates that at least 70% of all program expenses are supported by in-kind donations. Effective: CYP tracks every program child in an extensive database. High yearly and long-term retention, a >85% rate of placement into higher education (many fold above community rates and 50% above state levels), teen birth rates less than one-third of city figures, and very low delinquency rates prove the program’s effectiveness.
