2014 leake & watts supporting children, adults & families 40 programs at 22 sites 3,848 direct program participants 8,000 total family members supported 2014 annual report :: 1 table of contents 2 8 16 mission and values educating youth board of directors and key staff 3 10 message from the promoting positive choices 17 board president and supporters executive director 12 helping individuals 21 4 thrive map of leake & watts building strong foundations locations 14 6 financial statements protecting children & strengthening families 2 :: leake & watts mission and values Leake & Watts respect, is dedicated achievement, safety, to supporting responsibility. children, adults R We demonstrate RESPECT by practicing open and and families. honest communication and, in this way, earn trust. We appreciate each individual’s uniqueness and Working together, treat all with dignity. we create strong O We are ON TASK and committed to ACHIEVEMENT by setting and accomplishing goals. We take pride in our programs and ownership of our foundations for work. We support those we serve through initiative, success. teamwork and innovation. A We ACT SAFELY by promoting a culture and environment that supports sound judgment and decision-making. We safeguard the well-being of all. R We accept RESPONSIBILITY for the benefits and consequences of our actions. We are consistent and fair in our treatment of others. 2014 annual report :: 3 message from the board president and executive director Dear Friends, 106 children and 20 pregnant women, ensuring that each woman, child and family receives Leake & Watts has been supporting the most individualized care and support so that these vulnerable children, adults and families in the children can thrive and grow. We also opened our New York City metro area for nearly 185 years. Passage of Hope (Camino de Esperanza) Program Always focused on adapting our programs to to support unaccompanied children from Central meet the most pressing needs of families and America who have crossed the border to escape communities, we are proud to support more than gangs, crime and violence. We are excited to be 8,000 individuals and their family members each launching a community-based Respite Program year, in 40 separate programs at 22 locations. In for court-involved teens as an alternative to fact, we have nearly doubled in size and scope over incarceration and our new Family Resource Center the past four years thanks to the assistance and focuses on supporting families with children ages financial help of our many friends and supporters, 0 to 5. and yet we know that there is still so much more to do in our community. Together, we look forward None of the work we do would be possible to helping even more individuals to triumph over without the support of our many friends and personal challenges, achieve greater independence, donors. The success of each and every individual realize personal growth, and create strong we support is dependent upon both their own foundations for success. effort and the dedication of our staff, community partners and so many others. And of course, every We are honored that our work dollar donated and each hour volunteered is critical has been recognized. Leake & to our ability to help each person build strong Watts was named the 2014 Gold foundations for future success. Winner of the prestigious New York Community Trust Nonprofit To our donors, volunteers, staff and community Excellence Awards. We would not be able to partners, thank you for contributing to our life- successfully support over 8,000 children, adults changing work and the success of children and and families were it not for the commitment and families. Your involvement and dedication makes hard work of our 1,300 staff and our hundreds of it possible for our entire community to grow. volunteers, donors and community partners, who all share in this recognition. Like the past several years, we launched several new services in 2014 to support hundreds more G. Crossan Seybolt, Jr. Alan Mucatel of our neighbors. We assumed operation of an Board President Executive Director Early Head Start Program in the Bronx assisting 4 :: leake & watts building strong foundations early childhood programs From birth, the interaction, stimulation and early as children from middle and upper-income families. education that children receive are critical to their In our Head Start, Early Head Start, Preschool Special brain development. Unfortunately, millions of children Education, Universal Prekindergarten, Parent-Child nationwide, significantly those from low-income Home and Child Care programs, teachers and staff families, lack sufficient stimulation and are not provide the guidance, stability and assistance that adequately prepared for kindergarten. These children young children need to thrive, striving to inspire a love struggle to close the “achievement gap” for years to of learning and active exploration in the classroom. come. To combat this problem, our Early Childhood In our Special Education programs for preschoolers, Programs are dedicated to building strong educational teachers and staff also ensure that children with foundations for every child. As we support young developmental delays and disabilities receive children and their families in the Bronx, Manhattan additional supports and services such as speech or and Yonkers, we work to ensure that our students are occupational therapy that will enable them to progress receiving the same early educational support and succeed. 2014 annual report :: 5 yoselin and jayden parent-child home program “Even though I’ve got my GED, I really Twice a week, Home Visitors visit regret not finishing high school,” says families like Yoselin and Jayden, teen mom Yoselin, who is enrolled in bringing books and educational the Leake & Watts Parent-Child Home toys that will nurture the child’s Program along with her two-year-old development and modeling positive son Jayden. She truly appreciates parent-child interaction. For young the home visiting program, which mothers like Yoselin, learning to be promotes the early literacy of children a part of their child’s education is an ages 18 months to 4 years. “My mom important and empowering experience. had to raise three girls by herself, Jayden has quickly developed a love which was hard, and it’s important to of books and learning that will help me that Jayden has a better life. I want him succeed throughout elementary my son to go further, to finish college school, high school and beyond. And and get a good job.” while many children from low-income families are behind academically Even though Yoselin has wanted the even by Kindergarten and have a best for Jayden and to promote his high incidence of dropping out of high education, she was unsure of how to school, Jayden and the other children 652 provide the necessary support so that in our program have an 84% chance of children provided with the her son would have a strong start with high school graduation versus the 53% building blocks for success in our early childhood programs academics. That is why she jumped chance of graduation of their peers. at the chance to enroll him when she learned about the Parent-Child Home “The thing that I love about this Program. “They told me that this program the most, though,” says would help him get ready for school. Yoselin, “is that the teacher helps both They were right. I am so impressed of us. I’ve learned to play with Jayden 40% because I don’t think I learned my in a smart way, so I can keep helping of our special education preschoolers shapes until first grade, but Jayden him when the program is finished. Now moved on to Kindergarten needing already knows them all and he is I know how to ask him questions that less intensive or no special only two!” make him think, and I can be part of education services his learning. I’m so happy and so proud of what we both have learned.” 6 :: leake & watts protecting children & strengthening families preventive services, foster care and adoption programs, the mother & child program and the passage of hope program allow them to maintain ties with their family, friends and school. Individual counseling, comprehensive medical care, independent living skills training and educational supports are all geared toward helping children navigate a truly traumatic time in their lives. Focused on reuniting families whenever safe and possible, we provide birth parents with counseling, parenting skills training, substance abuse counseling and more, so they can safely bring their families back together. When children in Foster Care cannot be safely reunited with their birth parents, we help to create new families through our Adoption Program. All through the adoption process, we support children and their adoptive parents so they can build a loving, nurturing new family together. The Mother & Child Program provides pregnant teens and young mothers in foster care a nurturing home where they receive assistance with their educational Many families that Leake & Watts supports are and therapeutic goals. We provide these teen mothers facing overwhelming challenges. We are dedicated to with positive role models and guidance to help them strengthening families so that they are stable, secure and learn parenting and independent living skills, preparing able to thrive. them to be successful mothers on their own in the community. Children in the program also receive a wide Our Preventive Services Programs support families variety of supports so that they can grow and thrive. in crisis, keeping children safe and preventing the necessity of placing them in foster care. Through The Passage of Hope (Camino de Esperanza) Program intensive, home-based counseling, families learn healthy provides short-term residential services and assistance communication, address challenges such as domestic to undocumented children from Central America violence and substance abuse, and apply positive who have crossed the border to escape gangs, crime parenting techniques, while social workers connect them and violence.