Promoting the Healthy Development of Children, Youth, & Families

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For Children

Programming for children from birth to seventeen has been designed to equip children from underserved communities with the physical, mental, and developmental assets that facilitate school and life success. Programming and support for school-aged children, tweens, and teens are also offered at Smart sites.

For Families

Smart addresses the needs of every member of the family. Smart recognizes and builds on caregivers’ strengths. Caregivers have access to crisis intervention and family stabilization services. They are encouraged to set long- and short-term goals to improve their economic status and to overcome social challenges. Opportunities to enroll in adult education and career exploration programming are open to all Smart caregivers.

For Communities

Our community-based work is designed to improve families’ access to, and use of, existing community services, while also ensuring the highest-quality services through close partnerships with other agencies. The Smart model works to engage and enlist the support of both formal and informal stakeholders, business proprietors, and other community-support agencies.

Our Vision:

Smart envisions a world where every young child feels safe, secure and loved; has their basic needs for healthy food, warm clothing, secure housing and safe neighborhoods met. We work toward a day where every child, regardless of what they look like, who their parents are or where they live, has access to high quality, fun, enriching education that honors and celebrates their diversity, making it possible for them to fulfill their greatest potential and to realize their dreams.

Where We Serve:

Boston
DC

Meet Preston

Preston is a father of three from Washington DC who had his first son when he was 15 years old. Through working with Smart from the Start’s Focusing on Fatherhood program, Preston has been able to find the resources and tools he needs to become a positive parental figure and influence in his community. In his own words, joining the Smart family has made Preston a better father, man, friend, son and husband. We are so proud of the person Preston has become!

7,000+

Children and Caregivers Served

38

Program Sites

2

Cities

100%

Family and Community Driven