"As a society, we don't have the luxury of looking through any child.  All of them have worth." Terdema Ussery, President & CEO of the Dallas Mavericks Learn more about our program!

Heart House’s innovative afterschool program is designed for school-age children in a neighborhood known for its high crime & unemployment rates and lack of affordable, quality care for children. At Heart House, children have access to caring mentors, homework assistance, arts enrichment, computer skills tutoring, health & safety education, and literacy programs. Children like Darius*: In his third grade year, he learned he was being held back and was exceedingly frustrated and angry. When he joined the Heart House afterschool program, being placed in the 1st - 3rd grade group was almost more than he could bear! He did not want to be in the "little kids" room! Darius acted out in anger and frustration. Luckily, Heart House was a place where he was challenged in a positive way - Heart House expected good things of him. Within one week, Darius learned that consequences of his behavior and actions were his choice. He learned that he was in control of whether he sat in a time out chair, or was showered with positive praise. With the help of Heart House staff, Darius was able to create an action plan for his behavior. Today, you can recognize him as the boy with the largest grin in the room! He is the first to defend Heart House if anyone might complain that there are too many rules. Heart House helped Darius see that he can be in control of his circumstances - the impact has been profound!     Children like Semeret*: The most adorable 6-year-old comedienne you could ever meet! However, when she first came to Heart House a year ago, the Program Leaders saw quite a different side. Her family had just moved to Dallas as refugees from Ethiopia and she spoke little, if any, English. The adjustment was very difficult for her - she didn't know anyone, didn't understand anyone, and was extremely shy. Needless to say, her first few days in the program were a challenge for everyone. She was uncomfortable in the new environment, and was found hiding in corners, or just totally disengaged from the rest of her kindergarten group. But Heart House staff members saw a sparkle in her eye, and were quick to include her in the group and help her with English skills. In a remarkably short amount of time, Semeret was smiling, laughing, and talking to her new friends. Now she can be seen running across the yard to the Heart House door with an enormously contagious smile. She is now, without a doubt, the most talkative student in the program!

Heart House keeps kids safe and on track.

• 0% of Heart House children were victims of violent crime or engaged in juvenile delinquency.  
    

• Children were well-supervised: The average daily adult to child ratio was 1 adult to every 5 children.

Heart House improves kids’ behavior at school and at home.

• Teachers believe 80% of Heart House children have shown an improvement in behavior with adults and other children at school.
      

• 96% of parents report that they have seen their child exhibit positive and productive interactions at home since attending Heart House.

Heart House improves kids’ achievement at school.

• 96% of parents believe their children are doing better academically because Heart House offers homework hour and reading time every day.  
    

• Teachers agree, and report that 81% of Heart House children have shown an improvement in quality and frequency of homework turned in.  

Heart House helps working families.

• While the work day grows longer for working parents, the school day has not. The gap is as much as 25 hours per week for some families.

• Polling nationally shows that 87% of working mothers say the hours after school are when they are most concerned about their children's safety.

The need for afterschool care in Dallas is great.

• 67% of school-age youth in low-income Dallas County zip codes do not have access to afterschool programming.

Heart House is a wise social investment, while unrealized potential of youth costs the nation billions.

• Each year's class of dropouts will cost the country more than $200 billion during their lifetimes in lost earnings and unrealized tax revenue.
    

• American business currently spends more than $60 billion each year on training, much of that on remedial reading, writing, and mathematics.
   

• Every dollar invested in afterschool programs will save taxpayers approximately $3, according to a study by the Rose Institute at Claremont McKenna College.