COA Youth & Family Centers

Mission and History COA Youth & Family Centers helps Milwaukee children, teens, and families reach their greatest potential through a continuum of educational, recreational, and social work programs offered through its urban community centers and rural camp facility. COA programs are intended to help children and families build new traditions of achievement and success. The Children’s Outing Association was founded in 1906 by a dynamic group of Jewish women who sought to provide families in poverty the means to achieve self-sufficiency and raise healthy productive, successful children. Following the framework of Jane Addams’ Hull House in Chicago, these women established Milwaukee’s first Settlement House and through this holistic model of community service they provided an array of resources for families. Over the last century, COA has continued to evolve this continuum of services and today serves over 10,000 children and families through comprehensive, family-centered early child, youth, and community development programs. COA’s mission and family-centered programmatic philosophy reflect its understanding of the complex nature of the challenges faced by low-income children and families. COA believes parents’ ability to support and directly engage in their child’s learning and development outside of COA’s walls is vital to the impact of programming. Family is at the center of each of our three core focus areas: -Early Child Development -Youth Development -Community Development