SOUTHSIDE FAMILY NURTURING CENTER

Investing in our children is an investment in our future.

According to research by Art Rolnick former Director of Research for the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, the return on investment in quality early childhood education for children living in poverty and suffering the effects of trauma and distress, is sixteen percent of every dollar invested. Supporting these children and their families is the most important undertaking we can embark on to assure a prosperous future and the best quality of life for all of us.

“It is a rare public policy initiative that promotes fairness and social justice and, at the same time, promotes productivity in the economy and in society at large. Investing in disadvantaged young children is such a policy.” (James Heckmen, Nobel Prize winning economist)

Since 1974, Southside Family Nurturing Center has been investing in young children and their families. We work to stabilize families and build brighter futures for the children in our community.

SSFNC was one of the first private nonprofits to implement holistic family services for at risk children and their parents in the state of Minnesota. The families who seek our support are living in moderate to severe poverty and are dealing with issues such as mental illness, homelessness, domestic violence, and chemical dependency. Our 37 years of expertise and commitment to providing quality early education and family support to the children and families of the Phillips and surrounding neighborhoods has touched the lives of thousands of children and their parents.

SSFNC provides therapeutic classes using research-informed curriculum and assessment tools for toddler and preschool aged children. We offer on-site Speech, Occupational and Clinical Play therapy. In addition, we offer intensive home visiting, crisis intervention, parent education, and resource referral services for all of our families. We provide transportation for all of our programs and breakfast and lunch for our children and family style meals for all family outings and events. Our licensed and accredited program has received the highest possible rating from Parent Aware and in 2009 we were named the Star of the State for early care and education by the Children’s Defense Fund Kids Count Data Book.

All of our services are free of charge.

One of our many success stories:

Lois came to Southside with her two sons, Clay and Brian, in 2008. After a series of domestic violence incidents between Lois and the boys’ father, she and the children were homeless for about eight months.

Clay attended preschool at Southside for two years. He exhibited challenging behaviors in his interactions with staff and other kids, and received play session and extra support in the classroom. He is now in first grade.

When Brian started in the toddler class, his teachers had many concerns. He had a very limited vocabulary, did not respond to his name and demonstrated unsafe behaviors such as climbing on tables, wandering away from the classroom, and running off when the class was at the park.

Lois was overwhelmed. Being homeless for such a long time drained her energy and it was hard for her to take care of her children on her own. Once they found a place to live, things began to change. She takes Clay and Brian to their appointments and has encouraged them to have a positive relationship with their father. Brian’s attendance at school has improved. He is participating in speech and occupational therapies, and his behaviors, peer relationships, and development have improved as well.

We continue to serve this family, ensuring that Brian receives the services he needs, and that Lois continues to develop skills to help her build stability for her children and herself.

With your support, SSFNC will continue to provide critical early intervention and prevention services to families like Lois’. Please consider an on-going monthly donation and partner with us as we continue to provide these important services. Thank you.