There are more than one million homeless children in America today. More than 40% of the homeless consists of struggling families – families with infants and young children. Even worse, children are the fastest growing segment of homelessness.

The most basic needs of homeless children are not being met because they fall through the cracks of a system designed to deal with adults. Studies show that children who are denied basic needs pay the price for the rest of their lives with dramatically higher rates of severe health problems and increased emotional and behavioral disorders.

Children Today is an advocate for the needs of the most truly innocent victims of homelessness – children. Our mission is to provide community-based services to children and families experiencing homelessness, fostering long term family stability and success. We provide these children with a safe, stable and nurturing environment while their parents take positive steps towards rebuilding their lives.

Children Today makes caring for homeless children a priority in Long Beach, where approximately 700 children have no place to call home. Instead of waiting for the problem of homelessness to be solved, we are taking action now to ensure the most needy in our community have alternatives to the harsh reality of homelessness – witnessing violence, going hungry and growing up on the streets.

Our first no-cost, licensed childcare and preschool center, Play House West, opened in Long Beach in June, 2000. Our second center, Play House North will start serving an additional 32 children in February 2008.