Atlanta, GA – Emmaus House

CDF asked children, college students and caregivers to “freedom dream” with us. At every site, our partners from the Ink Factory situated a big whiteboard with colorful sticky notes to visually capture what we heard.

About the Site

This summer, we redefined the role of expert to center the lived experiences of the children, youth, and caregivers we serve. In Georgia, we visited the CDF Freedom Schools® site at Emmaus House in Atlanta. We asked CDF Freedom Schools parents, caregivers, and Servant Leader Interns (SLIs) to share their experiences and challenges faced in their community and schools.

When asked what is happening in their community or the world that makes it hard to raise children, many shared their concerns on the judicial system, affordable childcare, drug use, gun violence, and the impact of social media. Key focus areas also included overall health and healing, family economic mobility, just and caring communities, early childhood development, and civic engagement.

CDF Freedom Schools community members also offered a response to the question we raised: What should we be doing to make change for the children? Community events, advocacy, listening, and mentorship in the community were identified as top issues.

Young girl holding her sibling on her lap.

The State of America’s Children® in

Georgia

Explore data for the children living in Georgia, including indicators related to child poverty, health, education, welfare, and more.

Learn More

CDF asked parents to help us identify issues most important to them.

6.7%

Health and Healing

6.7%

Just and Caring Communities

20%

Early Childhood Development

46.7%

Family Economic Mobility

20%

Civic Engagement

Participant Quotes

What Does Freedom Look Like to You?

We asked our CDF Freedom Schools parents and Servant Leader Interns at Emmaus House what freedom looks like to them. Here are their responses.

Highlights from our Visit


Learn more about CDF’s site visits in these cities: