As you know, 2022 has been a year of celebration for the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, as we marked our 175th Anniversary on January 21. In keeping with that sentiment we have exciting news to share. We have updated our mission and vision statements.
Over the last few months, the Board of Directors, active Associate Board members and the Executive Leadership team have engaged in a strategic planning process, something we do every three years. As part of that process, the mission and vision of the Children’s Home was reviewed. Their collaborative efforts resulted in a new mission and vision that more accurately reflects the work being done with children and families today, but still inline with what our founders set out to do all those years ago.
The new mission and vision statements are:
Mission Statement
Empowering children and families to achieve optimal health and well being
Vision Statement
A world where every child and family have access to the tools, skills and support they need to thrive
While we have been traditionally known for providing residential services to children in the foster care system, changes brought on by the Federal Families First Prevention Services Act, which aims to prioritize family based care over residential care, has shifted our program focus. Today our residential services are more specialized and we are serving more children and families in the community than in residential care. Knowing that our work supports both residential and community based services, it became clear that our mission and vision needed to describe the work we do with children and families.
Our expanding involvement with Federal programs serving Unaccompanied Minors has given us a national presence. Our Community Based Services programs have also broadened our areas of impact. The revised mission and vision statements contain no geographic restrictions and allow us to serve more children and families than ever before.
For 175 years the Children’s Home has provided children and families with care and hope for a healthier, happier and safer life. The revised mission and vision statements capture our continued commitment to the children and families we serve. We are excited about the future and our work with those who need our help the most.
We want to thank our Board, staff, community partners, children, families and each of you for supporting the work that we do. Our mission and vision drive our work each day, and we are encouraged, hopeful and excited about the next 175 years.