Facts & Stats

Being in a safe, peaceful, and tranquil environment like Northern is essential to healing from the challenges and trauma our young people have experienced.

• Poverty & Child Welfare: More than 1 in 4 children in Philadelphia continue to live in poverty, increasing their vulnerability to abuse, neglect, and mental health challenges. Northern’s services provide critical support for families, directly, or through community partners, ensuring access to needed resources, including food, clothing, and shelter.
• Mental and Behavioral Health: We’ve expanded our evidence-based, trauma-informed services, ensuring that children and youth receive the support they need—on our campus, in 25+ Philadelphia public and charter middle and high schools, in homes, and within the community.

• Violence Prevention & Early Intervention: Gun violence in Philadelphia has declined significantly. How wonderful to witness. Yet, those directly impacted remain deeply affected. Our initiatives have grown significantly in scale, integrating psychoeducational groups that equip young people with the skills to interrupt cycles of violence and make informed choices about their lives today and positive decisions about their futures.
• Foster and Adoptive Care: With over 4,000 youth in foster care in Philadelphia, we see firsthand how instability impacts a young person’s future. Youth transitioning out of foster care are especially vulnerable to homelessness. The need for compassionate, stable homes is urgent.

Northern has increased the number of high-quality foster parents and homes within our organization. We are actively working to recruit and support foster and adoptive parents, providing training and resources to create safe, nurturing environments.

We urgently need more compassionate foster and adoptive parents willing to provide stable, nurturing homes.

• Housing Stability: Recognizing that a secure home is the foundation for healing, we are advocating for increased affordable housing options. Our goal is to ensure that every family at risk of homelessness has access to a safe, stable place to live. Equally critical is the need for more affordable housing solutions for young people and their families who are at risk of being unhoused. We are partnering with community organizations and public agencies, working towards every child and family having a safe place to call home.