About GATEWAYS
GATEWAYS
for Youth and Families is a private, non-profit social
service organization that serves youth and families in the
South Puget Sound area through four main programs,
wrap- around services that support our clients, and
collaborations with other organizations in an effort to
conserve resources while still getting the necessary
services to the people who need them. GATEWAYS' social
service delivery system is divided between two main
divisions: Family Services and Youth Services.
Through Family Services,
GATEWAYS' Foster Care and Adoption program
successfully finds homes for children with severe needs
through our Behavioral Rehabilitation Services as
well as regular foster placements. GATEWAYS' parenting
Education, Visitation and Safe Exchange Program serves
families with a history of domestic violence, digging to the
roots of abuse and working to eliminate it. The primary
purpose of EVASE is to create a mechanism whereby children
can maintain healthy relationships with both parents, even
when the adults must comply with No Contact orders. By
treating the perpetrator and the victim of past violence
through the supervised visitation service, new behaviors are
taught and practiced by all members of the family system,
building skills within people that last beyond the treatment
period at GATEWAYS. It may be idealistic, but GATEWAYS for
Youth and Families is working to end domestic violence
through respectful programming that really addresses its
root causes.
GATEWAYS Visitation and Safe Exchange program
provides a mechanism for children to experience healthy
relationships with both parents despite hostility that
may exist between the adults. Families with a history of
domestic violence or custody issues may participate in VASE,
the only program of its kind in Pierce County that provides
safe drop-off and pick-up for children whose parents may not
have contact, or monitored visits in a home-like setting
when court-ordered parenting plans require supervised
visits.
Impact of Divorce on Children seminars, held at GATEWAYS
facilities and at locations all over Pierce County, meet the
Court requirements for parents seeking a divorce in Pierce
County or have other custody issues. They are four-hours
long, are taught by clinicians with Masters degrees, and
offer a warm and supportive climate for parents and other
family members who want to make the transition as healthy as
possible for their children.
Foster Care &
Adoption, and Teen Counseling Services provide support for parents and
children.
Through Youth Services,
GATEWAYS operates The Ranch, a
fun, supervised place for teens to belong after school
and on the weekends when their parents are at work. Activities include
Modern, Tap and Ballet Dancing, Improvisational theater, Scrapbooking, Drumming, Guitar, Wood and Creative Painting and Holiday
Workshop. Also offered are Tutorial Assistance & Community Service Hours. The annual membership
fee is only $20 and additional class supplies and instructor fees are low.
In
January
2008, look for the GATEWAYS Early Childhood Learning
Center grand opening. At the center, young children are
guided through age-appropriate activities and socialization
that helps them get ready for school success. It's more than
just babysitting for children ages 2-1/2 to 9.
Originally incorporated in 1891 as
the Woman's Lend-a-Hand League, GATEWAYS is a non-profit
social service organization that has been shaping young
lives, providing a community safety net and transforming
families so they can thrive since 1890.
GATEWAYS is funded by the net revenues of the GATEWAYS BINGO HALL and the generous donations of the
community through grants, in-kind gifts and private
contributions. We want to acknowledge the patrons of the GATWAYS
BINGO Hall in Lakewood, who helped raise $100,000 for needy children and families. Make us your payroll deduction!
Washington State employees use Combined Fund Drive number
315381; federal employees and members of the military
service use Combined Federal Campaign number 9026 (PLEASE NOTE THAT CFC NUMBERS HAVE CHANGED AND THERE WILL BE A NEW NUMBER IN 2008 IF YOU WISH TO DONATE). Without the
support of our neighbors, we wouldn’t be able to provide
vital services to youth and families.
For more information on our programs or
events, please contact us at 253.383.4361 or
continue to explore our Web site. |
