A Special Message from Horizons’ CEO
On behalf of Horizons for Homeless Children, I want to express my sincere appreciation for your generosity and commitment to our mission. Over the past decade, the support of our community has helped expand our reach and deepen our impact, ensuring that thousands of children and families experiencing homelessness have access to the stability, care, and opportunity they deserve. I am truly grateful for your partnership and all that you make possible.
Today, I am writing to share news that is both joyful and bittersweet: I will be retiring in the fall of 2026 to spend more time with my family — especially my grandchildren — and finally explore the many places that have long been waiting on my bucket list. As I look back over the past ten years as CEO, I can say without hesitation that leading Horizons has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I look ahead with deep confidence in the future of this remarkable organization.
These years have not been without challenges. We weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and the immigration crisis — moments that demanded resilience, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to the families who rely on us. I am extraordinarily proud of how Horizons showed up during these unprecedented times. We served as a leading advocate with state government and nonprofit partners, ensuring children and families maintained access to vital supports for healthy development. Thanks to your partnership, we were able to adapt quickly, respond compassionately, and remain a steady resource through uncertainty.
Our work in Boston has flourished. At the Edgerley Family Horizons Center, our early education program now provides one of the highest-quality early learning experiences available to young children who need it most. Our innovative practices in early relational health and STEM education are now being modeled across the field. Through our two-generation approach — a longtime hallmark of Horizons — we are seeing measurable improvements in the employment and financial wellbeing of the parents we support. And our significant investment in data infrastructure is allowing us to understand our impact more deeply than ever before.
As I prepare for this next chapter, I do so with immense excitement for Horizons’ future. We have an exceptionally capable leadership team whose collaboration, expertise, and passion position the organization for continued strength. Our financial performance over the past eight years gives us the stability to weather challenges and seize new opportunities in service of our mission.
Most importantly, we have you, our community of supporters, whose generosity and belief in our work have fueled everything we have accomplished.
Thank you for standing with us, for believing in the potential of every child, and for allowing me the privilege of leading this extraordinary organization. I look forward to cheering on Horizons as it continues to grow, innovate, and change lives for decades to come.
With deep gratitude,
Kate Barrand
Chief Executive Officer
Horizons for Homeless Children
