Program areas at YWCA La Crosse
Child center:the Ywca child center is a year-round, full-service child care program that also serves as a 5-year-old kindergarten site for the school district of La Crosse. The center also provides a lab school environment for western technical college's early childhood education program. The Ywca child center is one of only three in La Crosse county youngstar five-star rated child care agencies open to the public serving infants from six weeks old.
Supportive housing:yhdp - the youth homeless demonstration program provides case management, support, and navigation assistance through the complex housing system to 18-24 year old young adults. Yab - Ywca La Crosse has a system navigator, who works with the coulee youth advisory board (yab). Across the state of Wisconsin location yabs meet to center youth and young adult voices in the work to end youth homelessness. Yab members are between the ages of 14-24 years old. Ophelia house - a collaboration between Ywca La Crosse, justice support services and the department of justice. Ophelia house offers gender-specific programming designed to provide wraparound services for the women participating in the program. Services may include housing assistance, group opportunities such as thinking for a change, substance abuse services and support, educational groups, employment assistance, and enrichment opportunities. Residents work on increasing self-sufficiency, reconciliation, sober living, and healing.
Reach:all programs focus on different populations and outcomes and work to empower young people to reach their full potential.
Justice circles:ywca La Crosse restorative justice program in collaboration with lincoln and logan middle schools focuses on sing an alternative discipline model to keep students in school and out of the justice system by training students to facilitate restorative circles.
Casa:created in 1977 by a judge who needed more information about the lives of abused and neglected children before he could make important decisions regarding their futures. His solution was to use trained volunteers to track the progress of children in the court system and report back regularly to the judge. Today casa programs are in all 50 states of the united states and in the virgin islands. The program was established locally in 1999 in La Crosse county and has since grown to also serve children in vernon and monroe counties.
Ryhmes:all programs focus on different populations and outcomes and work to empower young people to reach their full potential.
Ruth house:this emergency shelter supports homeless women transitioning from substance abuse treatment. This safe environment is dedicated to restoring hope through goal-focused and communal sober living and learning. Individual case management helps women find permanent housing, employment and the mental stamina to resist relapse as they safely transition into the community.