The Board of Directors of Katy Cares, Inc. announced the launch of its new, non-residential Trauma Informed Therapy Program named Ready, Set, Go! It is an eight-module parenting program for single-parent families that face financial, emotional, and social hardship as a result of unexpected, traumatic and life-changing events.
Ready, Set, Go! offers each family practical skills to build and sustain healthy relationships. Participants are guided by a facilitator and have access to an individual therapist in the program. The Ready, Set, Go! Program is free to attend and registration is open in-person or online.
“The Board of Katy Cares, Inc. is optimistic about this new non-residential program for single-parent families, in the greater Katy area, who are struggling to sustain and lead their families as a result of a traumatic event or series of incidents. We expect to reach, serve, council, coach, mentor and support a larger number of clients and make a greater difference in our community,,” said Dr. Dawid J. Pieterse, President of Katy Cares, Inc.
Homelessness in Katy, Texas
The suburban setting of Katy, Texas masks the extent of homelessness in the Greater Katy Area. The average number of homeless families in Katy exceeds the national average, according to the National Center on Family Homelessness.
More than 80 percent of families experiencing homelessness are single-parent families. The Homeless Liaison Officer of the Katy Independent School District confirmed that there are an estimated 500 or more homeless students in this District alone, and more than 16,000 (about 20 percent) are economically disadvantaged.
Almost 1,000 homeless students attend Katy ISD, according to the district’s official statistics report. Many of these students are from single-parent families, most headed by single mothers.
About Katy Cares, Inc.
Katy Cares is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2016 as a solution-driven response to Katy’s most vulnerable population – single-parent families who are victims of trauma due to a life-altering event such as domestic violence, abuse, intimidation, separation, divorce, financial challenges due to a loss of employment, income, child support, and/or a natural disaster.