The Nehemiah Project has, for more than half a century, housed, cared for, and provided programs for teenage boys in out-of-home placement. The needs of youth and their families have changed considerably, especially on the last 5 years. Many are faced with increased challenges of poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, lack of education/educational resources, family disruption, mental health needs, trauma, and other hurdles to success.

This, along with the pandemic and prevailing social justice issues which disproportionately affect our youth, has caused the Nehemiah Project leadership to assess all aspects of our programs and services in 2020-21 through strategic planning and implementation. We have added a Support and Wellness Initiative, streamlined services to accommodate shorter stays by our youth, updated living areas to be more welcoming, and increased staff training in many areas.

A change in the approach to working with youth has been on the horizon for some years now – as a national, state and county-wide initiative - to limit, as much as possible, a youth’s time away from home. We believe the changes we have made best mirror those initiatives while providing integrity in programs, dignity and understanding for our residents, and honoring family connection and reunification.
 
Our mission has not changed. We will continue to ensure that all youth who are served at the Nehemiah Project have the opportunity and tools they need to learn, succeed, and thrive as they move into young adulthood.