JFCS programs and services designed to address development needs for youth of all ages

 It’s hard to believe that a new school year has been in session for already two months. In fact, the unofficial fall break, better known as MEA (Minnesota Education Association) weekend has come and gone, and before we know it, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving and enjoying the time off that accompanies it. Let’s face it—as much as school children look forward to these school breaks, so do parents!

One of the things we plan for at Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis is caring for kids. Many of our programs and services are designed to address the many developmental components of raising healthy children from birth to adolescence and eventually to young adulthood. At JFCS, we are always assessing the ways we meet the needs of children at each developmental stage, and making sure our skilled staff have the tools to reach youngsters and teens alike.

It’s no surprise that many things in today’s world affect young people and their development. Parents and teachers are often aware of the stresses and struggles that present themselves, and JFCS has become a reliable go-to source for helping kids develop strength and self-awareness in order to manage day-to-day anxiety. Our Jewish Youth Mentoring Program (formerly known as the Jewish Big Brother/Big Sister Program) offers continuous support to children, teens, and even older people who seek guidance and friendship.

Family Life Education, a tried-and-true JFCS program, provides topical presentations and discussions on all matters of child development and issues of parenting and building strong families. JFCS Counseling services has added clinical staff to specifically address mental health needs of children and teens, and we are seeing requests for service suggesting additional staff may be required. In other JFCS programs focused on children, we are also seeing growth. ParentChild+ is now serving over 300 families with toddlers, and our PJ Library program is one of the largest of these programs in the country. We are excited to be expanding programming for PJ Our Way members, a program intended to serve children in the “tween” age group.

Providing all this service is necessary and vital towards ensuring strong families and strong communities. Our 31^st Annual Benefit is right around the corner on Dec. 7, where we’ll be featuring our services for children and families, and asking for your generous support. You’ll be hearing more about all that JFCS provides – with your help. For more on information on these services, click here. We’re Here for All. Always!