Horizons for Homeless Children Gives Children in North Falmouth an Updated Playspace

CONTACT: Mariellen Burns, mburns@regancomm.com, 617.488.2875

BOSTON, MA (June 5, 2013)– On June 13, 2013, Horizons for Homeless Children will re-install a Playspace in the Carriage House family shelter in North Falmouth, MA. Carriage House provides transitional housing for nine local families, particularly first-time mothers and their children. Carriage House assists them through the crisis of homelessness, and Horizons has maintained a Playspace there since 2005.

“The reinstallation of the Playspace at Carriage House will help improve the lives of the homeless children spending time at this shelter,” said Åsa Fanelli, President and CEO of Horizons for Homeless Children. “Children in shelter require and deserve a stable, positive environment in which to grow and develop, and providing this environment is key to their healthy development. It’s incredibly important for people to know about the Playspace Program as we rely on over one thousand volunteers to become PALs (Playspace Activity Leaders) each year.”

The Playspace Program ensures that children living in family homeless shelters in Massachusetts have the opportunity for developmentally appropriate play. The program creates educational spaces in shelters and stocks them with books, toys, and art supplies. Playspaces across the state are staffed by Horizons for Homeless Children’s more than 1,500 trained, very dedicated volunteers.

Also known as PALs, volunteers commit two hours weekly for at least six months to maintain consistency in the lives of the children they serve. PALs enable parents to participate in workshops focusing on topics such as parenting, budgeting and job searching. Each week, more than 2,700 children in Massachusetts enjoy a fun and supportive environment provided by Horizon’s Playspace Program.

One in every 45 children in the United States is homeless each year; this equates to more than 1.6 million children in America being homeless each year. Homeless children experience chronic stress and trauma from the loss of relationships, multiple moves, or witnessing domestic violence. This stress and trauma can be emotionally and cognitively damaging to them and costly to communities. Quality early education can reduce the effects of stress and trauma and it is the most effective way to ensure future school success.

Horizons for Homeless Children is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of young homeless children and their families by ensuring that they are prepared for school success. Horizons provide high quality early education, opportunities for play, and family support services. Today, Horizons serves more than 3,000 young homeless children each week in Massachusetts through three comprehensive early education centers and 150 shelter-based Playspaces.

For more information on Horizons for Homeless Children, please visit:
www.horizonschildren.org