Impact In Action Stories

Family Preservation & Empowerment

Organization
CityLink Center
Grant Amount
$100,000
Year
2024

The Challenge

Too often, mothers facing poverty, homelessness, or trauma risk losing custody of their children—not due to neglect, but due to a lack of support.

“Support creates solutions.” Tara’s involvement with Every Mother’s Advocate (EMA) program at CityLink Center turned around her life and the lives of her four sons, ages 9-15, for the better.

The Transformation

In 2024, CityLink Center received a $100,000 Impact 100 grant to expand its Every Mother’s Advocate (EMA) program—an initiative designed to keep families together. EMA pairs mothers at risk of family separation with trained volunteer advocates, offering trauma-informed coaching, life-skills classes, and connection to vital community resources. The program’s holistic model provides a 10-week curriculum focused on parenting, mental health, financial literacy, and healthy relationships, while also linking mothers to services like housing, transportation, legal aid, and job training.

The Impact

  • 48 mothers supported in EMA’s first year
  • 20 trained advocates walking alongside moms in crisis
  • Expansion funded for a second full-time EMA coordinator—doubling service capacity
  • An estimated 150 children will be prevented from entering foster care as a result

Empower a mother. Keep a family whole.

Join Impact 100 in funding breakthrough solutions like EMA.

"There is always light at the end of the tunnel. EMA was my light at the end of the tunnel."
Tara Otis, EMA Participant, mom of four