Young Women's Christian Association of Metropolitan St Louis

Ywca's head start provides developmental and educational services to income eligible preschoolers and their families to help them thrive. Head start offers quality instruction and education, including literacy and mathematics, to prepare children for school and for a successful transition to kindergarten. Funded enrollment for 2023 - 1,229

Community empowerment - this community-based program provides sexual health and disability education ("shade") for individuals who have developmental disabilities. The shade program provides education in the areas of healthy relationships, sex and protective skills related to sexual assault/abuse. Shade coordinates services provided to victims and serves as a resource to the community on issues regarding awareness and service provision to prevent sexual assault/abuse among this vulnerable population. Children & youth - includes various programs for children and youth, including early childhood education, before and after school care, summer camp and leadership development for at-risk teenagers.

Women's services include the Women's economic stability partnership (wesp), rapid rehousing for domestic violence, permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless women, and sexual assault and domestic violence services. Women's economic stability partnership program provides single women with school age children support in obtaining degrees in nontraditional careers that allows them to earn a living wage, and secure employment around their career choice. Women receive monthly housing, utilities, groceries, and transportation support, in addition to tuition assistance, all with the support of a life coach and financial education. The housing services are for homeless individuals and families. Rapid rehousing for ywca is specific to domestic violence. The programs helps individuals and families exit homelessness and immediately return to permanent housing through move-in and rental assistance. Core program components include: housing identification services, time-limited financial assistance, and case management and supportive services based on individual and family needs. Rapid rehousing is designed to to serve 72 women. Our sexual assault and domestic violence services are comprehensive: sexual assault response team (sart), that provides 24-hour crisis intervention to survivors of sexual assault in hospitals and police departments, 24-hour rape crisis line, individual and group counseling, drop-in center for families fleeing domestic violence, and sexual health and disability education (shade) forindividuals with intellectual disabilities. Families with disabilities received specialized services for both individuals and groups in the form of counseling and community awareness through workshops and presentations.