It’s not easy raising a family, especially for parents who live in poverty. But in one area of Kansas City, Mo., there’s help available through Front Porch Alliance.
During the past three of its 17 years, Front Porch Alliance has focused on youth development through its Neighborhood Families program. The program uses weekly home visits to help young people and their families achieve success.
Each family is paired with a Certified Parent Educator who has the knowledge and skills to address issues such as;
- Child abuse and neglect.
- Developmental and other health screenings.
- Positive parenting and home management skills.
Parent Educators support not only kids’ development but parents’ as well. They help parents learn to negotiate crises, become positive role models and provide ongoing emotional support. 
“Good parenting and poverty are not mutually exclusive,” said Roxana Shaffé, Front Porch Alliance Executive Director. “We work with families, so we impact two generations and create an environment in which children grow up to be strong, stable, productive parents — breaking the poverty cycle.”
To be eligible for the Neighborhood Families program, families must live east of Troost Avenue in the Kansas City, Mo., School District and have two or more risk factors that include, but are not limited to:
- Low educational attainment
- Recent immigration
- History of or current substance abuse.
- Family member with a chronic health condition or disability.
- Homelessness or unstable housing.
To help support Front Porch Alliance and the Neighborhood Families program, send contributions to the address below and become an advocate for home visits, parent education and early childhood intervention.
