Search

Horizons for Homeless Children’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Commitment Statement

Horizons has served the needs of children and families experiencing homelessness for over 30 years with early education and comprehensive family support services in Boston and access to play for children and families across the state. As a Board and organization, we are conscious that systemic racism, bias, classism, and poverty contribute to this national crisis for children and their families. As a community, we both collectively and individually know that to deliver the best possible services to our families and create the optimal environment for all members of our Board and organization, we must actively work to ensure we set the standard for a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture. Our organization’s commitments include: 

  • Ensure the Organization and its Executive Leadership, Staff, Board, Board Committees, Advisory Council, Volunteers, and Donors faithfully represent the clients we serve and the state in which we live as it relates to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, faith experiences and perspectives. 
  • Create an environment where all members of our community (Board, Staff, children, and families) feel safe and empowered to present their authentic selves and feel valued and heard when engaging within the community. 
  • Promote an environment that treats all children and families we serve and members of our community with respect, empathy, and curiosity, focusing on our collective strengths. 
  • Commit to actively seek learning opportunities that allow us to understand our own biases and understand the impact systemic bias has had on members of our community. 
  • Celebrate and value differences of opinion and thought and foster an environment that encourages tough questions and respectful and frank conversations. 
  • As part of the organization’s strategic planning cycle, ensure DEI objectives and KPIs are established and tracked. Review progress annually while holding ourselves accountable for their successes and failures. 
  • Commit to Horizons continually refining its curriculum to reflect our DEI priorities as an organization to better serve our children and families. 
  • Ensure the organization’s policies, procurement and sourcing practices, and talent acquisition & management align with industry best practices for DEI. Apply, when possible, a DEI lens to investment policy decisions.