Three Hearts, One Mission: What’s New with Family Services
At Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter, we believe strong families build strong futures. That’s why our two-generation model, represented by the two gears in our logo, isn’t just symbolic. It’s the foundation of everything we do.
This summer, our Family Services team has been hard at work removing barriers and creating pathways for long-term success.
Our recent Benefits Breakfast in partnership with Georgia Gateway. Families were invited to enjoy a warm meal while learning about available state benefits, including SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid. Even better—they could apply on the spot with a Georgia Gateway representative right here at the shelter. That’s real-time support, delivered with dignity.
We’re also growing.
Since March, we’ve increased our enrollment by 28%, with 23 children attending daily putting near 50% of our enrollment capacity. With more families in the screening process and supportive systems in place, we’re on track to exceed 50% capacity by early August.
This growth is no accident. By lowering barriers to entry and providing hands-on support—like helping families access vital documents such as birth certificates and Social Security cards, we’re making enrollment more accessible than ever.
Behind the scenes, we’ve rolled out new client engagement tracking tools that reflect our trauma-informed, evidence-based approach. These tools monitor key indicators like attendance, goal progress, and family engagement, replacing outdated “compliance” models and enabling stronger coordination between program teams.
New partnerships are also moving us forward.
Thanks to a collaboration with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, 100% of ACDS parents now have access to a benefits outreach case manager who can walk them through applications for essential programs. It’s one more way we’re making sure families have what they need to thrive.
And the support doesn’t stop there.
On July 10, we launched the Parent Pod Summer Session, building on momentum from our Winter 2024 group. Led by our Child Behavioral Therapist, this twice-monthly group offers a space for parents to deepen engagement, explore child development, and strengthen their parenting journey. Based on participant feedback, the program has expanded and will be evaluated ahead of a potential fall session.
Meanwhile, our Family Services team continues to respond to urgent needs in real time. In July alone, some of the most-requested supports included:
· Housing assistance
· Navigating Coordinated Entry systems
· Overnight shelter referrals
· Access to rapid rehousing programs through partner agencies
To our Family Services team: thank you.
You go to bat for our families every single day, and it shows. Because of your commitment, families are gaining stability, confidence, and the tools they need to move forward—together.
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