Frequently Asked Questions when Launching a Program or Home for Teen Moms
A note from Hope House Founder & Executive Director:
“I often receive phone calls from amazing people around the country who are interested in opening a home or starting a program to serve teen moms. It is such a blessing to know that God has placed a love for young moms in the hearts of so many people around the nation and even around the world! Listed below are the questions I am most commonly asked. I am happy to schedule a half hour phone call with prospective ministry leaders as well. Blessings on your journey!”
-Lisa Steven
Founder & Executive Director
What are the first steps?
I would advise starting with a prayer team of a few dedicated individuals who will pray for each step.
Then decide whether you want to form your own 501(c)3 non-profit organization or try to start your ministry under another non-profit organization’s umbrella (i.e. your local church). If you want to start your own 501(c)3 non-profit, you will need to hire an attorney or find one who will volunteer their time. DO NOT try to do the paperwork yourself as it is very complex. If you do not have funds for this, write your very first fundraising letter to family and friends, spelling out your vision and asking for help with this initial step. Make sure to tell them in the letter that this donation will NOT be tax deductible. Only after you receive your 501(c)3 will donations become deductible.
Next find out if there is a local or state non-profit association where you can receive inexpensive training on how to open and run a non-profit. Colorado resources include:
• Colorado Non-profit Association
– http://coloradononprofits.org
– phone number (303) 832-5710
• Community Resource Center
– www.crcamerica.org
– phone number (303) 623-1540
• Mission Increase Foundation
– www.mif.org
– phone number (503) 639-7364
Then develop a mission statement – even if you revise it as you go, this is a place to start. If you can clearly define WHO you want to serve, HOW you want to serve them, and WHAT you want the final result to be, then you can hold future decision making up to this statement as a guide when moving forward.
For instance, Hope House serves parenting teen moms, which is stated in the mission statement and backed up by Board-approved policy. This means that we have purposefully chosen a narrow service area, and when we receive a call from a teen mom who is pregnant with her first baby, we either refer her elsewhere or let her know that we would love to have her turn in an application after she delivers.
How do I form a board of directors?
In order to receive 501(c)3 status, you will be required to form a Development Board (Board of Directors). This should be made up of four to seven people, ideally including both men and women, who are passionate about your vision and cause and perhaps have some area of expertise (banking, real estate, social work, etc.). I suggest you include a few people who have some level of influence or a measure of wealth or folks who have access to wealth (real estate agents, hospitality professionals, bankers, anyone in finance, event planners, etc.). Most importantly, find a few folks who love the Lord and have the time and passion to help with a start-up.
What is a good way to go about getting funding?
Create a database, even if it’s just an Excel spread sheet, for all of the names, addresses, e-mails, etc., of anyone you meet who is interested and wants to be informed about your progress. This will be the pool you will eventually use for your first fundraising event, first direct mail request, etc.
Send that first letter to friends and family (be sure to include a clear mission statement, a summary of your plan, and a compelling story about why you want to do this). Do not waste a ton of time trying to write grants – the typical non-profit raises 80% of its funds through individuals, so talk to everyone you know! Go to Rotary Clubs, churches, small groups — anywhere you can share your vision — and ask for help with start-up costs (note: you will need your 501(c)3 status first!).
Do I have to follow state regulations of some sort if we are a private non-profit?
It depends upon the state. Call your state office of childcare or find out who oversees group homes in your state. You may also need a “special use permit” for a group home in the city you end up in. This should not be a top priority until you actually have a better idea about your building. If you are 100% privately funded (meaning no government funding), then you may not be required to be licensed by the state.
How should I search for a building?
If there are some supportive services that you can offer WHILE you work on getting a building, that would be great. Ask your church for space. Start a Teen MOPS group. Get volunteers to run a support group, parenting class, activity — whatever you can do to start building some experience working with teen moms. This will add to your validity. I can’t help you with finding a building – that ends up being a God thing.
Do you have any resources for program advice?
Please visit the Hope House blog and look through the Archives on the right to view our 2016 Knowledge Share posts. You will find advice on everything from parenting education to GED strategies to healthy relationships and more.
Do you have suggestions regarding how to help teen moms overome the many barriers they face?
Yes! Please go to our blog archives and look at the 2015 Teen Mom Barrier posts. You will find our insight on many of the obstacles teen moms face here.
Do you have advice on how to help teen moms break out of generational poverty?
Contact our Program Director, Jenny Macias at Jenny.Macias@HopeHouseColorado.org, as she discusses how to help teen moms overcome generational poverty.
Can I meet with Lisa Steven, Founder & Executive Director of Hope House, to ask specific questions?
If you would like to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation with Lisa, please contact Leah Setzer at leah.setzer@hopehousecolorado.org. We can also schedule a tour of our facilities and share our program information as able.
6475 Benton Street BLDG A,
Arvada, CO 80003
(303) 429-1012
Hope House Colorado is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our Federal Tax ID number is 84-1567838.
Join our email list:
CONNECT WITH US
Lauren is a teen mom who was raised by a mother who depends solely on government assistance. With the encouragement of her Hope House Mentor, Lauren decided to break the mold and become independent, but her family was not willing to support her decision. Through the donation of a reliable used car, Hope House was able to make a real difference in Lauren’s journey:
“Recently I was blessed enough to receive a donated car from Hope House. The weight lifted off my shoulders the moment the keys were handed to me. Now I am not only able to attend college and take my daughter to my mom’s during class, I have also been lucky enough to start working. When it comes down to it, I wouldn’t be as successful without my car.”
Today Lauren is living on her own and is working for one of our Career Partner businesses, where she is up for a promotion!
A teen mom without much hope, Kori joined our GED Program this summer. Her story is hard to hear and includes physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her own family. However, she is committed to breaking this cycle of abuse and providing a different kind of childhood for her three little daughters. With this goal in mind, Kori is now attending our Parenting classes, where she is known to be one of the most enthusiastic, engaged students!
Hope House recently received this note from Kori:
Thank you so much for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Thanks to you I’m getting my GED, I’m bettering my life, and I’m going to be someone in life. Now my kids can look up to me. Thank you Hope House for giving us a better tomorrow.
With love,
Kori
Vanessa first used alcohol at the tender age of 8. She dropped out of school in 10th grade and became a mom at age 16. Unfortunately these are common realities for a young woman growing up in poverty. However, not only did Vanessa grow up in generational poverty, she also grew up in an environment that did not trust the police force and actually hated police officers.
Fortunately Vanessa found Hope House where she earned her GED and joined our Mentoring program. Wanting to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty, she explored a variety of career options. Through this process, Vanessa had the opportunity to go on a drive-along with an Arvada police officer. This experience completely changed Vanessa’s perspective of the police force, and she now wants to join the legal system by becoming an attorney! We look forward to offering Vanessa practical support through our Learning Lab as she enrolls in college to pursue her dream!
Alondra is a teen mom following her dreams. She has a scholarship and is attending Metro State University of Denver where she is working toward an RN degree. She lives downtown with her son and works part-time while attending college full-time.
Alondra’s journey is amazing because she had many challenges to face… she became a mom at age 16. That fact alone meant she had less than a 1% chance of ever earning a college degree!
Alondra also had to overcome homelessness and generational poverty.
Today at age 19 with a 3-year-old son, Alondra is still a teen mom. But she is also a graduate of Hope House Colorado, and she is working hard toward self-sufficiency. Her future is bright!
Brittani was born into poverty and chaos — and her mother struggled with cancer and her father with kidney failure. Dropping out of school in 10th grade, Brittani was pregnant by age 15 .
Brittani named her baby girl Deavyne and set out to create a different life for her daughter than she had known growing up. One of her friends told her about Hope House, where she earned her GED so she could go on to college. She also met with her Hope House mentor regularly and took Parenting classes at Hope House.
Today Brittani has finished her degree program and works full time as a Medical Assistant with benefits… and she loves her job!
She has been living in the same duplex for two years, which is longer than she has lived anywhere in her life. Her daughter goes to school a half block away and loves it. Brittani and her boyfriend are working on their credit score so they can buy a house.
“For the first time in my life, I feel stable and stress free. And I couldn’t have gotten here without Hope House to get me started,” says Brittani.
Stephanie is no longer the vulnerable, frightened teen mom who applied to Hope House.
Her background is not uncommon around Hope House. Stephanie grew up in generational poverty, became a mom as a teenager and dropped out of school. By the time her daughter was born, her boyfriend was gone. She was sleeping with her baby girl on a couch in a crowded mobile home.
Fortunately Stephanie found Hope House. She knew she would have to work hard — her first educational assessment placed her at 5th grade.
And so she worked hard! I am proud to say Stephanie earned her high school diploma through one of our online high school partners. She also completed our Parenting, Healthy Relationships, and Financial Literacy classes – as well as an internship at Head Start.
Stephanie’s last requirement was to find full-time employment. With support from our College & Career Program, she found a customer service position at PC’s for People, a non-profit organization that provides computers to low-income individuals (I love seeing the process come full circle in her life!).
The teen moms at Hope House are true heroes… Kathryn is no exception. We are not the only ones impressed with her incredible resilience in the face of hardship – Kathryn was recently given the Adams County Mayors and Commissioners Youth Award!
In 2018, Kathryn wrote and recorded her story for Hope House. You can view that video here and learn about her incredible resilience!
Janelle remembers when her world crumbled. She was 12 when her parents’ fights and addictions led them to split. Although Janelle and her brothers were already used to living in chaos, now they were left on the sidelines, trying to take care of themselves. Janelle ended up meeting an older boy – and they connected deeply as they shared stories from their rough childhoods.
By age 14, Janelle was pregnant, and that same boyfriend became abusive, leaving her with bruises make-up couldn’t cover. By the time Joseph was born, Janelle had stopped going to school. By the time he turned four, Janelle had another baby boy.
Janelle and her boys eventually became homeless — sleeping in a car, on the ground, or in homeless shelters. Sleeping in a car was actually a good night because the ground was cold and the shelters were crowded, smelly and scary.
Janelle knew she had to make a change.
She found Hope House online and enrolled in our GED Program. Surrounded by staff and volunteers who encouraged her, Janelle began to feel hope.
Six months later, Janelle had earned her GED and had found her own confidence. With the support of our College & Career Program, Janelle applied to the Community College of Denver and began working toward a certification in machining.
The tutors at Hope House helped Janelle when she needed it, and she stuck with the program. When she graduated, she was offered a job at Ball Aerospace as a machinist. Today Janelle is loving her job, where she gets to use the skills she learned in college. She also now owns her very own house, where she and her boys are thriving!
Edith, pictured with her son Ian, started at Hope House in February 2019 when Ian was just five months old. At the time, Edith was experiencing depression while facing the economic challenges of being a teen mom. After a friend introduced her to Hope House, Edith felt the encouragement she needed to move forward with her life and build a healthy future for herself and her son. In a year’s time, she was able to cover her expenses and begin saving for a down payment for a house.
During the year of the pandemic, Edith accessed our curbside Grab & Go for food and essentials; took virtual parenting and healthy relationships classes; received individual counseling; and participated in group classes to support mental health on her path to building a healthy future for herself and her son. She works at Amazon and continues to make smart financial decisions to reach her goal of owning a home.
Fatima’s childhood felt very lonely and isolated. Her family dynamics were difficult, and at an early age she felt neglected and left to fend for herself. As a preteen, she was given freedom without the tools to navigate it. Landing in the wrong circle of friends, Fatima began smoking and drinking at age 10. At 15, she found out she was pregnant. Already struggling with little support, five months into her pregnancy, Fatima lost her brother to suicide.
Life felt so intensely depressing that Fatima feared she would have a miscarriage. Her living situation with family was chaotic and unsafe all throughout her pregnancy, but at 16—with little support or encouragement—she gave birth to her son Julian.
Falling into a deep post-partum depression, Fatima knew something needed to change.
Fatima heard about Hope House through a friend of a friend, and after having joined the program, she quickly began working on her high school equivalency through Penn Foster. She also applied to and was accepted into the Residential Program. Fatima and Julian moved into the house and started making friends with other moms and staff. A residential staff member had a huge influence on her and became like a grandmother to her, something Fatima never had. Older moms in the house became mentors and guides to her. At the house, Fatima found a caring community.
Through classes at Hope House, Fatima learned how to set boundaries and establish healthy relationships. Hope House also helped her get a car, a paid internship with Jefferson County and an apartment.
Today, Fatima and Julian live in an apartment by themselves. She feels safe and is excited to provide an environment for Julian that is supportive and caring, two things she longed for as a child. Eventually, Fatima hopes to become a tattoo artist. She is drawing every day to practice her skills while raising her lively, talkative and energetic little boy.
Reflecting on her own experience and what she would say to a future or current teen mom, Fatima genuinely shares, “I’d ask her where she sees herself in the future. I’d ask her who she has as support. And if she says she doesn’t have anyone, I’d tell her I’ll be her absolute best friend. I’d tell her I’ll support her. I’d tell her my story. I would want to be that person, that support system, that I needed three years ago.”
Since becoming a Hope House Mom, Alejandra has been able to finish her GED through Penn Foster in February of 2022 and is incredibly thankful for the support and motivation she had through Hope House Staff. She attended the GED graduation in May 2022 and gave the graduation speech. Janely, Alejandra’s 9-month-old-daughter, is also enrolled in the Early Learning Program. At first, Alejandra said, “I was hesitant because of bad experiences I had with babysitters for Janely, but I got to meet the staff and they’re really nice and I’m never far away from [Janely] which is really great”. Alejandra has also taken other classes including Parenting 101, Relationship Classes, and Self-Care classes.
Alejandra is so proud to have graduated Penn Foster in only two months and have gotten her permit and driver’s license since becoming a Hope House Mom. Alejandra also attended a House of Congress meeting and testified on behalf of the Colorado Teen Parent Collaborative and Bill HB22-1042 to support the state providing driver’s education to teen parents. “I’m very vocal about the rights of my community – the Hispanic community, the Teen Parent community, and the people around me,” Alejandra explained.
Alejandra hopes to get her Real Estate License and move into that field, to find an apartment, and to continue to create a bond with Janely where Janely can tell Alejandra “anything and everything. I want to see her grow up and do something she is passionate about, and to be able to get her started with a good and healthy foundation.”
Alejandra found out that she was pregnant just days before her 17th birthday. An “A” student who had spent her first three years of high school taking IB and college classes, as well as working, Alejandra wasn’t sure what her life would look like as a teen parent. Alejandra hid her pregnancy until she was about six months along, and eventually told her parents and friends. She felt shamed and scared, and she was struggling with preeclampsia and migraines as she got closer to her due date. Eventually, Alejandra got connected to Hope House through clinic staff at the office where she went to get ultrasounds. At first, she was nervous about what her family would say, but in January of 2022, Alejandra became a Hope House Mom and has loved it ever since.
Since becoming a Hope House Mom, Alejandra has been able to finish her GED through Penn Foster in February of 2022 and is incredibly thankful for the support and motivation she had through Hope House Staff. She attended the GED graduation in May 2022 and gave the graduation speech. Janely, Alejandra’s 9-month-old-daughter, is also enrolled in the Early Learning Program. At first, Alejandra said, “I was hesitant because of bad experiences I had with babysitters for Janely, but I got to meet the staff and they’re really nice and I’m never far away from [Janely] which is really great”. Alejandra has also taken other classes including Parenting 101, Relationship Classes, and Self-Care classes.
Alejandra is so proud to have graduated Penn Foster in only two months and have gotten her permit and driver’s license since becoming a Hope House Mom. Alejandra also attended a House of Congress meeting and testified on behalf of the Colorado Teen Parent Collaborative and Bill HB22-1042 to support the state providing driver’s education to teen parents. “I’m very vocal about the rights of my community – the Hispanic community, the Teen Parent community, and the people around me,” Alejandra explained.
Alejandra hopes to get her Real Estate License and move into that field, to find an apartment, and to continue to create a bond with Janely where Janely can tell Alejandra “anything and everything. I want to see her grow up and do something she is passionate about, and to be able to get her started with a good and healthy foundation.”