Family Connections

At Family Matters, we believe that impacting the multiple facets of children's lives results in the most meaningful development. Our programming favors a holistic approach - we work with young people and their families, encouraging the intellectual and emotional growth that fosters leadership in a supportive, affirming environment. We believe that strong families are the foundation of healthy children and vibrant communities. Family Matters embraces families, honoring and celebrating their myriad forms.

The common thread in all Family Matters programming is the emphasis on the positive - focusing on the gifts each of us brings to the community. North of Howard residents shape Family Matters into a place where they develop their potential, explore their talents and gifts, and experience their most inspired dreams as possibilities, all with the support of core values called the Principles of Leadership. Embracing peaceful conflict resolution, owning choices and consequences, and harnessing the power of positive thinking and language are the principles that propel the organization forward and ground its identity.

This is the approach that has made our very first program, Family Connections (established in 1987), a unique and rewarding experience with the capacity to alter lives. Created to provide a safe, enriching learning environment for children during after-school hours and on school holidays, Family Connections works with 30 children of predominately African-American and Latino descent, ages five through twelve. Family Connections is a place where children's voices are heard, their visions are nurtured, and they are given the space to realize their dreams. The children work out their own rules at Kids' Meetings, and the Family Connections leadership core - comprised of program attendees - sets an example by providing positive role models.

Family Connections fosters the entrepreneurial spirit in even the youngest children. It is the imagination and enthusiasm of the children themselves that has turned their Book Club into a Book Store - where children who have earned Book Dollars by completing library books use them to purchase new books of their very own.

Through Family Connections, parents and children explore the gift of the Principles of Leadership, learning and growing together. Many parents have wrestled with the things their children are learning at school and felt left out. Family Connections children are enrolled in the program along with their families. Family Connections parents meet regularly to advocate for their interests, practice effective communication skills, and strengthen their bonds with their neighbors. They receive the same training in Family Matters' Principles of Leadership their children do and are encouraged to become more deeply involved in the community. Leadership opportunity abounds in North of Howard. Parents may elect to become more involved in the community by joining the Local School Council, working to secure a field house in the park, or advocating for affordable housing. Family Connections is one of only eleven centers in Illinois accredited by the National School-Age Care Alliance (NSACA). The program is licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. It provides a thoughtful balance between creativity and structure and lays a solid foundation for students' academic performance and emotional growth. Just as important, Family Matters works to provide an experience of healthy family interaction and to strengthen the children's own families.

Family Connections Program Director: Sophia Nyanue
sophie@familymatterschicago.org

© Family Matters 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Planting hope so that joy may abound.