Hour Children

Hour Children
Name	Hour Children
Founded	1989
Founder	Sisters of St. Joseph (notable involvement), Janice F., Mary D. (founders' representatives)
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Brooklyn, New York
Area served	New York City
Focus	Reentry, maternal care, child welfare

Hour Children Hour Children is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit organization providing residential, educational, and reentry services for justice-involved women, mothers, and their children. Founded in 1989, the organization operates transitional housing, childcare, and workforce programs to address the needs of formerly incarcerated mothers and their families. Its work intersects with criminal justice reform, maternal health services, and community-based social services in New York City.

History

Hour Children was established in 1989 in Brooklyn amid rising attention to incarceration rates and family separation in the 1980s and 1990s, a period marked by debates involving Rudy Giuliani, David Dinkins, New York City Police Department, Manhattan District Attorney, and statewide policymaking. Early collaborators included faith-based groups such as the Sisters of St. Joseph and local advocacy organizations like Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Community Services. The organization expanded through the 1990s and 2000s alongside movements connected to The Sentencing Project, Black Lives Matter, and advocacy networks linked to prison reform proponents including Angela Davis and Kim Kardashian West’s later criminal justice initiatives. Hour Children developed programs responsive to changes in state policy under administrations like New York Governor Mario Cuomo and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, adapting to shifts in funding and criminal justice practice influenced by federal acts debated in the United States Congress.

Mission and Programs

Hour Children’s mission centers on reunifying families affected by incarceration and providing transitional support through residential programs, early childhood education, and workforce development. Programmatically, it aligns with service models used by organizations such as The Osborne Association, Women’s Prison Association, Pike County Reentry Coalition, and Fortune Society, offering case management similar to models promoted by Department of Health and Human Services-linked initiatives. Its childcare and preschool components mirror curricula and standards used by Head Start Program and New York State Office of Children and Family Services. The organization partners with advocacy groups like ACLU affiliates and collaborates with academic researchers from institutions including Columbia University, New York University, and CUNY Graduate Center to evaluate outcomes.

Facilities and Services

Hour Children operates residential facilities in Brooklyn neighborhoods and partner sites across New York City providing transitional housing, onsite childcare, and legal advocacy. Facilities include communal living spaces comparable to models at St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction and housing projects funded through mechanisms like Low Income Housing Tax Credit and partnerships with New York City Department of Homeless Services. Services encompass parenting classes, mental health counseling with providers linked to Mount Sinai Health System and NYU Langone Health, substance use treatment referrals similar to programs at Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program, and educational opportunities connected to Borough of Manhattan Community College and LaGuardia Community College.

Impact and Outcomes

Evaluations of Hour Children report outcomes in family reunification, reduced recidivism, and improved child development metrics, aligning with findings in literature from Urban Institute, Pew Charitable Trusts, and Rand Corporation. Successes have been noted in participants’ employment placements through partnerships with employers and job-training linked to New York State Department of Labor initiatives. The organization’s model has informed policy discussions in venues such as hearings before the New York State Assembly and panels hosted by National Conference of State Legislatures. Outcome measures reference data comparable to studies published by Brookings Institution and Annie E. Casey Foundation on child welfare and family stability.

Funding and Partnerships

Hour Children’s funding portfolio includes grants and donations from foundations and municipal sources parallel to supporters of similar nonprofits like Robin Hood Foundation, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and Carnegie Corporation of New York. It has received contributions aligned with philanthropic programs by entities such as The Rockefeller Foundation and collaborations with corporate donors operating in NYC, as well as contracts and referrals through New York City Human Resources Administration and New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Partnerships extend to legal clinics at Cardozo School of Law and healthcare collaborations with Kings County Hospital Center and advocacy coalitions like New York Restoration Project.

Notable People and Leadership

Leadership has included executive directors and board members with backgrounds in social work, law, and faith-based organizing, comparable to leaders at Women’s Prison Association and Fortune Society. Notable board and advisory figures have had affiliations with Columbia Law School, Fordham University, New York City Council, and community clergy from congregations such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral and organizations like Catholic Charities USA. External advocates and allies have included public figures involved in criminal justice reform discussions, drawing connections to activists and policymakers associated with Families Against Mandatory Minimums and scholars from Harvard Kennedy School.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Brooklyn