Host Families

About:

Since 1980, The Children's Center has sponsored The Summer Program. Modeled after a summer camp, The Summer Program provides mothers and children with the opportunity for quality time, mother-child bonding, and fun-filled activities. We bring children from all over New York State, as well as out-of-state, to visit their mothers for 5 consecutive days. We run these programs from late June until mid-August. Each program begins on a Sunday and ends on a Thursday. The children visit with their mothers from 9am to 3pm daily. Host Families are asked to drop off the children by 8:50am and pick the children up at 3pm each day. It means so much to both the mothers and children we serve to have this opportunity to spend quality time together. For many children, this is the only occasion all year that they visit their mothers. Equally rewarding for the children is staying with a Host Family, spending time together and getting to know each other.

Your kindness and hospitality help us to strengthen the bond between a child and his/her incarcerated mother. We are forever grateful for your support as we work together to create positive and lasting memories for the mothers and their children.

***All current and new Host Families need a background check for anyone over the age of 18 in the household* 


Announcement 📣

Dear Host Families,


Due to a shortage of host families, it is necessary to adjust the visitation schedule for the children from our original 5-day schedule to our 3-day weekend schedule.  


This revised Summer Program will begin on each Saturday in July and end on the Monday. The upstate children will arrive on Friday evening, while the local children will arrive on Saturday morning. Each week the children will follow the same visiting schedule: spending all day Saturday and Sunday and a half day on Monday with their mothers. Departures will be scheduled for Monday before noontime to return the children to their homes.


*If you already filled out and submitted a registration and background check form, please only fill out page 1 and 2 and chose what weekend works for you.  If you can do any additional weekends - please select those dates on the registration form.*  If you haven't submitted a Host Family registration form and are able to host any of the weekends in July, please return the attached registration form as soon as possible.  


Please let us know if you have any questions.  You can always call either Rosemarie Lopez, Program Director in Bedford Hills at: 914-241-3100 x4050 or Jessica Hall, Program Director in Taconic at: 914-241-3010, ask for The Children's Center. 


Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in accommodating these changes.



Here is the presentation that was discussed at the info session. If you are unable to make the event we would happily provide a one on one session to answer any and all questions!

The Details:


Summer Program dates are listed below 


You would be receiving the children on Day Zero (Friday) in the evening time. The following days would involve the Host family dropping the Children off at 8:15am and Picking them up at 2:30pm until it’s time to leave 


We greatly appreciate all of our Host Families  for opening their doors to Hour Children.



Summer Program Information:

***NEW DATES*** 



2024 Summer Program: Please see summer program flier below. 

Host Families needed!


Process & Links

Step 1: Review this presentation to understand the volunteer jobs we have available

volunteer Presentation.pdf

Step 2: Sign up to be a Host Family posted on this website.

Step 3: NEW APPLICATION!!! 

You will be contacted by Hour Children to fill out this application below as well as the Athena background check. Please let us know when you submitted your background check (the background check isn't sent to us!*)

Athena Background Check (2).docx