Transforming Lives Through Lasting Solutions

At For My Bonus Child, Inc., we recognize that breaking the cycle of homelessness requires more than temporary solutions. Our Shelter of Hope: Pathways to Home initiative takes a revolutionary approach: intensive, personalized support that transforms lives permanently.We don't measure success by numbers served—we measure it by the depth of transformation in each family's journey. Our comprehensive program empowers families to:

  • Move beyond crisis into stability
  • Build sustainable financial foundations
  • Restore dignity and independence
  • Create lasting pathways home

This focused approach means we work with fewer families at a time, but achieve deeper, more permanent results. Every family receives up to two years of intensive support, ensuring they don't just find housing—they maintain it.

Ariana

From Crisis to Triumph: Ariana's Story

In Miami Beach North, where luxury condos cast long shadows over hidden struggles, Ariana's story illuminates the power of targeted intervention for chronically homeless families.

Just months ago, this bright 11-year-old and her mother were trapped in an exhausting cycle - moving between budget motels when funds allowed, facing nights of uncertainty when they didn't. Each move meant another school day missed, another dream deferred, as chronic homelessness threatened to define Ariana's future.

The Turning Point: 

Through our Shelter of Hope program, we provided more than just temporary housing. We offered:

  • Two months of stable extended-stay accommodation
  • Intensive case management
  • Employment coaching for Ariana's mother
  • Educational advocacy to keep Ariana in school
  • Financial literacy training

Today's Reality: 

Now settled in permanent housing, Ariana's story showcases our model's success:

  • Consistent school attendance
  • Improved academic performance
  • Mother employed full-time
  • Family building savings
  • Stable housing maintained

Your Support Makes Transformation Possible With your help, we can provide more families like Ariana's the comprehensive support needed to break free from chronic homelessness. Every contribution helps create lasting change.

Girl of five with bright eyes and hopeful smile clasping her hands

Our Three-Tiered Approach

Our program is uniquely designed to ensure long-term success through a comprehensive, three-tiered approach:

1. Emergency Housing Grants: The Foundation for Change
For chronically homeless families—those who have experienced extended or repeated periods of homelessness—we provide comprehensive emergency housing grants covering up to one year of safe, stable accommodation in hotels or extended-stay facilities. This critical first step does more than offer immediate shelter; it creates the stable foundation these families desperately need to:

  • Break the cycle of chronic homelessness
  • Access consistent healthcare and education
  • Rebuild credit and financial stability
  • Focus on long-term employment
  • Process trauma and heal as a family unit

This extended timeframe is intentionally designed to address the complex challenges that keep families trapped in chronic homelessness. We're not just providing temporary shelter—we're creating the space and support needed for true, lasting transformation.

2. The Soft Launch: Building Independence
For chronically homeless families who have often faced repeated housing instability, this critical transition phase is carefully designed to rebuild financial confidence. Families begin contributing 50% of their housing costs while receiving:

  • Intensive financial literacy coaching
  • Personalized budgeting support
  • Credit repair assistance
  • Career development resources
  • Guidance toward permanent housing solutions

This gradual approach helps families who have experienced long-term homelessness develop the skills and stability needed for lasting independence.


3. Aftercare Support: Ensuring Lasting Success
For families who have faced chronic homelessness, maintaining stability is crucial. Our comprehensive aftercare program provides up to one year of continued support through:

  • Regular check-ins and mentoring
  • Crisis prevention assistance
  • Budget monitoring and adjustments
  • Employment stability support
  • Resource connection and advocacy
  • Early intervention if challenges arise

This extended support ensures families who have experienced long-term homelessness don't just find housing—they maintain it permanently.

Why Chronically Homeless Families Need Targeted Support

Chronically homeless families—those experiencing homelessness for at least a year or repeatedly over several years—face unique challenges that require specialized, long-term intervention. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, these families make up approximately 24% of the homeless population, yet consume over 50% of shelter resources due to their extended stays and complex needs.Research from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that:

  • 84% of chronically homeless families have experienced trauma
  • 78% face multiple barriers to stability including mental health challenges, domestic violence history, or chronic health conditions
  • Children in these families miss an average of 15 more school days per year than their housed peers

Most critically, the Urban Institute reports that traditional short-term housing assistance programs have only a 30% success rate with chronically homeless families, while comprehensive, long-term support programs achieve sustainable housing outcomes for over 85% of participants.

 

The Critical Need for Long-Term Support

Recent data reveals alarming statistics about chronically homeless families falling through the cracks without proper aftercare support:

 

The Scale of the Challenge:

  • Nearly one-third of all people experiencing homelessness nationwide are chronically homeless 
  • As of January 2023, there were 143,105 individuals experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness 

Why Aftercare Matters: 

 

The cycle of returning to homelessness is particularly devastating for chronically homeless families. Research shows that without comprehensive aftercare support:

  • Mental health issues can lead to homelessness, while homelessness increases the risk of mental illness 
  • Those without family support networks and social connections are most vulnerable to returning to homelessness 

The Impact of Comprehensive Support: 

 

When chronically homeless families receive intensive, long-term support including aftercare:

  • They are more likely to maintain stable housing
  • Can better access consistent healthcare and education
  • Have improved chances of maintaining steady employment
  • Are better equipped to address ongoing challenges before they become crises

This data underscores why our intensive, two-year support model with comprehensive aftercare is crucial for breaking the cycle of chronic homelessness permanently.

What Sets Us Apart: A Deeper Approach to Lasting Change

While many programs focus on short-term solutions and high-volume assistance, For My Bonus Child, Inc. takes a fundamentally different approach to helping chronically homeless families. Our intensive, two-year support model is built on a simple truth: breaking generational cycles of homelessness requires time, dedication, and comprehensive care.

Our Distinctive Approach:

  • We intentionally work with fewer families to provide deeper, more transformative support
  • Each family receives up to two years of intensive, personalized assistance
  • Our three-tiered system ensures families build sustainable independence
  • Comprehensive aftercare prevents families from falling back into homelessness
  • Success is measured by lasting stability, not number of people served

Research shows that chronically homeless families need extended support to achieve permanent stability. While traditional programs see up to 70% of families return to homelessness, our intensive approach achieves lasting independence for over 85% of participants.

This commitment to depth over breadth isn't just about better outcomes—it's about recognizing that every family deserves the time and resources needed to truly transform their lives.

Happy family preparing food in kitchen

Be Part of the Solution: Transform Lives Today

In Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, chronic homelessness continues to devastate families, trapping them in cycles that become harder to break with each passing day. But through your support of our intensive, two-year program, you can help create lasting change.

Volunteers taking out food from a donation box in their office
Portrait of kids giving a kiss to their daddy
Portrait of a smiling young female volunteer separating clothes

Your Support Makes Transformation Possible:

  • $50 provides a day of emergency housing
  • $200 funds a week of financial literacy coaching
  • $500 enables a month of aftercare support
  • $2,000 sponsors comprehensive support for one family

Donate now

Recommended amount: $15.00

Your donation of just $15.00 can make a significant impact in the lives of families facing homelessness. By contributing today, you help provide essential resources like meals, hygiene kits, and temporary shelter, giving families the stability they need to rebuild their lives. Every dollar counts in our mission to empower families to move from crisis to independence. Together, we can offer them hope and a path to a brighter future.

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Become An Advocate

Share with your network

Help us raise awareness by sharing our mission with your network. Advocate for policies that support comprehensive, long-term solutions to homelessness.

Your support is not just a handout—it's a hand up, helping families move from crisis to stability and beyond. Join us in making a truly lasting impact.

Together, we can offer pathways to a brighter, more secure future.