Horizons for Homeless Children

Horizons for Homeless Children is a Massachusetts nonprofit that works to ease the trauma and stress of homelessness on young children and their parents. Its core program provides full-time, year-round early education for 232 infants, toddlers and preschoolers living in shelters across Greater Boston. The curriculum emphasizes STEM and literacy, is free to qualifying families, and aims to have children ready to learn when they reach kindergarten.

Support extends to parents through the Family Partnerships Program, which pairs each family with a Family Coaching Specialist who helps set goals around family stability, health, finances, education and employment. Horizons also installs and maintains Playspaces, child-friendly rooms inside family shelters across the state, designed for children up to age six and staffed by trained volunteers. Its advocacy work pushes for public policies that lift families out of poverty and break the cycle of homelessness.

What to Know

• The organization describes its early education program as the only one of its kind in Massachusetts.
• It regularly hires early educators, including substitutes, full-time teachers and supervising teachers, and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• Openings also come up periodically in social services, development, human resources and administration.
• It is listed with Egleston Square Main Street and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.