If you call Hempstead home, call on us when you need help

124 Greenwich Street

Hempstead, NY 11550

516.483.5323

The Village of Hempstead Initiative (VHI) is an outgrowth of Family and Children’s longstanding commitment to the residents of the Village of Hempstead. The programs of the VHI promote independence and healthy development of all residents across the lifespan with residents themselves contributing to their development and operation.

Eligibility is based simply upon residence rather than functional deficits or economic status. The purpose of the Village of Hempstead Initiative is to measurably improve the lives of the Village’s youngest residents by providing them with the services needed to strengthen their families, foster their healthy development, and to positively – over the next five years – affect the overall quality of life in the community. The program is modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone, which promotes the healthy development of children based on two tenets: a critical mass of engaged, effective families, and early and progressive intervention in children’s development.

The VHI addresses community needs in the following ways –

·         Hempstead’s Children: A high percentage of Hempstead’s children live below the poverty level and qualify for free school lunches. Hempstead is one of Nassau County’s four communities at the highest risk for child abuse or neglect. The Hempstead School District has remained in turmoil and has been close to being taken over by the New York State Education Department.

·         Hempstead’s Youth: Less than half of Hempstead high school students graduate from high school and only a third of young men under the age of 29 are employed. Nearly half of the county’s youth criminal offenses occur in the Village and the teen pregnancy rate is 58.9%, compared to a rate of 13.9% for Nassau County. 

·         Hempstead’s Adults and Families: This population comprises more than a quarter of the entire county’s public assistance recipients, which is likely the result of a 7% unemployment rate. Well over half of Hempstead’s adults and families lack health insurance or are only insured through Medicaid and only 43.2% of them own their own homes.

·         Hempstead’s Seniors: Hempstead’s senior population is three times more likely than other Nassau County seniors to live in poverty. The Village elderly poverty rate is 16.9% compared to a Nassau County rate of 5.6%.

Through initiatives providing solutions –

For children: 

• Parenting Education to prevent abuse and neglect
• Enrollment assistance in state-sponsored affordable health insurance
• Primary Healthcare from the Pediatric Mobile Health Center
• Activities to promote physical fitness in children
• Daycare to prepare preschoolers for kindergarten by kindling their interest in learning
• After-school homework help and tutoring

 For youth: 

• Effective approaches to prevent teen pregnancy
• Community-based service learning programs
• Quality after-school programs to prevent violent crime, alcohol and drug use, smoking and other risky behaviors
• Activities that promote health and fitness for teens
• Activities to build leadership skills and prevent gang involvement
• Vocational/Educational Preparation
• The Promise Project: A program involving middle school students in school and community activities where graduates of the program receive scholarships

 For adults and families: 

• The HUB Human Services Center, a coordinated service delivery system where residents can get the help they need, when they need it
• Advocacy
• Access to low-cost health insurance, entitlements and subsidized day care
• Referrals for substance abuse and mental health services
• Financial counseling and help with money management

 For seniors: 

• Services so seniors can live independently and remain safe in their homes
• Senior Financial Counseling including assistance with health insurance concerns and Medicare enrollment
• Programs to help seniors maintain active roles in their community including social, cultural events and volunteer opportunities
• Advocacy for seniors residing in nursing homes or long-term care facilities

 For the community: 

• Increased interest and involvement in civic activities and better attendance at village and school board meetings
• Cultural and social events that bring people together
• Greater participation in civic improvements that foster pride in neighborhoods and community
• Overall improvement in the community’s quality of life 

"We are Family and Children's Association, the human service network of Long Island.
We protect and strengthen children, youth, adults, families, seniors and communities."