Atlanta Organization Focused on Families Facing Homelessness Launches New Strategic Plan, Name

Annual Legacy Builders Celebration event showcased  vision and four-year plan for the local organization 

ATLANTA (May 9, 2024) – Atlanta Children’s Shelter announced its new Strategic Plan for FY2024-FY2028, along with a name change to the Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter, as part of its new brand at its annual Legacy Builder Celebration event last night. The event, held at Uptown Atlanta, celebrated clients, sponsors and supporters and gave attendees an opportunity to see the updated vision for the organization. 

“At Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter, we have always focused on providing quality early childhood education to families facing homelessness, but we have also provided holistic support for our client families,” said Cameron Turner, executive director of Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter. “Our new brand and strategic plan better reflects the needs of our clients today, and it demonstrates to our team members and supporters where we will go over the next four years.” 

According to the Georgia Alliance to End Homelessness, children experiencing homelessness are four times more likely to show delayed development and twice as likely to have learning disabilities. Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter invests in the future of families and encourages Atlantans to overcome homelessness together.

The organization’s Strategic Plan laid out four pillars of focus for the next four years: 1) Family Self-Sufficiency, 2) Organizational Excellence, 3) Funding, and 4) Brand Awareness. Through these pillars, Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter will continue to provide high-quality early childhood education for children experiencing homelessness, enable family stability through comprehensive wraparound support; and organize and implement a housing strategy that empowers and launches families into self-sufficiency while also being a great place to work. 

“From the outside, it may seem as if we’re only adding one word to our name,” said Turner. “However, it was important for us to update our name in order to bring clarity to our brand, align with our strategic vision, and encourage community engagement to better serve children and families in the future”

Studies have shown that children experiencing homelessness get sick more often than other children and go hungry at twice the rate of other children. A 2023 report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development showed that approximately 3,500 people in families with children are experiencing homelessness on any given night in Georgia, and this does not include those families who are able to sleep on a friend’s couch with their children. Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter is working toward an Atlanta where homelessness is defeated and every child has a safe and nurturing home. 

About the Atlanta Children’s Shelter:

Founded in 1986, the Atlanta Children’s Shelter provides free, quality early childhood education alongside comprehensive social services for their families. Dedicated to helping families overcome the challenges of homelessness, the shelter has served more than 8,000 children and their families since its inception. Learn how you can help: https://www.acsatl.org/