Our Mission
Offering youth safety today and opportunities for a successful tomorrow
History
On a cold December night in 1968, a teenage girl was locked out of her Wilmette family home after she disclosed to a school social worker that her father had sexually abused her. Although she wasn't guilty of a crime, police took her to a detention center for juvenile offenders. Local citizens were outraged that this young girl could be victimized twice -- once by her own father, and once by the system that should have protected her. To provide a safe alternative for youth in crisis, The Harbour was incorporated in 1971 and began providing emergency shelter in 1975.
The Transitional Living Program was added in 1988 to provide a longer-term solution for youth unable to return home. In 1998, the Independent Living Program was added to offer services to youth living in their own apartments. After seeing an increase in pregnant and parenting youth seeking services, the Harbour added Successful Teens/Effective Parents in 2008 to ensure services to this underserved population. |