Vision Update: Children and Teens

The Children & Teens Subcommittee is working to identify and then respond to the needs of youth around us to provide hope and wholeness for children and teens. Our team believes that for children and teens to have hope they need to feel safe and have basic needs met to envision their future. Family, sense of belonging, and a supportive community provide wholeness. 

The members of the Children & Teens Subcommittee have gathered information from many professionals in our community including educators, school principals, guidance counselors, healthcare workers, social workers, and others.  The questions asked included:

• What are the top three things you see as essential for children and teens to be successful?
• What are the top three things that get in the way of this?
• What programs in the south metro are you aware of that address these needs?

Our findings based on the interviews conducted conclude the top three essential needs for children and teens to be successful are:

• Supportive relationships with parents/guardians or another caring adult
• Positive peer connections
• Opportunities and access to meet basic needs (food, clothing, housing) including health care 

Children & Teens Subcommittee is moving into the next phase of our project plan, as we have identifed several existing programs in the area that we would like to learn more about as well as continuing to identify additional programs. Our intent is to find a program(s) and/or identify a gap in how we can better meet the top three essential needs for children and teens. We welcome input on our mission and in our work. For more information about God’s vision for Prince of Peace visit www.popmn.org/vision or email vision@popmn.org.