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Houston’s Kids:
Collaborating Across Sectors in Times of Crisis and Beyond |
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By Kristin Brennan and Alan Tuck
In August and September 2005, some 30,000 disadvantaged children, driven from their homes by Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita, arrived in Houston, Texas. Responding to the immediate needs of these children and their families, local agencies formed unprecedented partnerships to provide aid and support, including after-school educational and recreational activities linked to in-school work, and connections to an array of health and other services.
The collaborative effort, known as Houston’s Kids, was initially responsive. Today, it is proactive, expanding the depth and scope of its services, as well as refining the offerings it already provides. Most importantly, it is successful: some 98% of children and youth who participated in the first summer of programming report feeling “safer now than I used to,” and 89% report feeling better prepared for school.
Supported by the America’s Promise Alliance, Houston’s Kids suggests a framework for organizations in other cities seeking ways to expand the depth and scope of their offerings to children and youth within the constraints of limited budgets, space and time.
www.americaspromise.org
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