Social Services - Children and YouthThe Helen Ross McNabb Center offers numerous social service program for children and youth including:
Children and Youth Homeless Outreach Program
The Children and Youth Homeless Outreach Program is specifically designed to meet the needs of children ages three to 18 who reside in Knox County and are suffering from severe emotional disturbances related to homelessness. Outreach workers strive to enable children to cope with lifestyle stresses by offering treatment options within the community and by assisting with finding housing opportunities for their families. Program staff works closely with Knoxville area homeless shelters, schools and other community agencies to ensure that these goals are met.
Healthy Families East Tennessee
Healthy Families East Tennessee covering Knox, Blount, Jefferson and Loudon counties, is an innovative program that focuses on first-time parents, and begins during pregnancy if possible. It is designed to prevent child abuse and neglect through education, intervention and strengthening the family before negative parenting practices begin. Healthy Families is a voluntary home visitation program that provides support and education through individual and group activities as well as a full range of case management services. Emphasis is placed on medical checkups, immunizations, family planning, developmental screenings, early brain development and stimulation and school readiness.
Life Skills Training
The Life Skills Training program provides substance abuse and violence prevention counseling to children in grades six to nine. Participants are referred by the Knox County Juvenile Court. The children in this 15 week program learn skills to cope with anxiety and stress, manage anger, and effectively communicate. This program positively impacts our community by reducing the use of alcohol and drugs by middle school age children.
Mother Goose
The Mother Goose program offers infant stimulation groups for children up to 30 months of age and their parents, grandparents or caretakers. Parents focus on the visual development, knowledge needs and language skills of their child. Mother Goose teaches parents how to interact with thier children and how to stimulate their child's curosity and develop their concentration using play, music or reciting stories. These positive interactions help ensure that the infant will be on target developmentally and socially, in addition to promoting successful early learning.
For more information on our social service programs for children and youth, please call 865.523.8695.
Teaching Resilience and Creating Strengths (TRACS)
The TRACS program is designed to operate as an after school program four hours a week for approximately 15 weeks. It will be held at the John Tarleton center off Sutherland Avenue. The targeted age group to be served is children ages 10-14.
At risk factors resulting in eligibility for services include substance abusing parents, witnessing domestic violence, victims of violence and trauma, placement into foster care, poor school performance, truancy, poverty, experimental use, emotional issues, and alcohol and drug exposure.
