Head Start: Poverty Alleviation Intervention

Many families in Israel today are living in a state of poverty and dysfunction affecting their daily lives. These families are faced with multidimensional challenges that impede their progress, including marital and parental functioning, issues with employment and income and dealing with debt. Though many families have the desire and motivation to improve their situation, they lack the resources, knowledge and tools necessary to emerge from poverty.

Paamonim operates a nationwide program for empowering families to emerge from poverty, in cooperation with Yedidut Toronto, BeAtzmi Association, and The Adler Institute.

Target Population

The program targets families who turn to Paamonim for assistance and meet the following criteria: families have an income of up to 2,500 ILS a person, at least one child under the age of 18, at least of one working parent, and are motivated and committed to the process of change will participate in the program.

Program Description

Families in poverty and economic distress who turn to Paamonim (or are referred by welfare organizations) and meet the defined criteria undergo intensive, long-term counseling that focuses on three main issues: employment, family functioning, and management of household finances. Counseling is personalized and built based on each family’s individual needs, and is provided by professionally trained staff in all three subjects.

Head Start was established last year in order to help families break out of poverty, improve their economic reality and employment situation, and reach a state of financial stability that will improve their quality of life.