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Article for the school newsletter—
“Former Wesley Teacher Devotes Her Time to Assisting Young Mothers”

sample copy

When Suezette Steinhardt stopped teaching at Wesley Preschool in 2002, she took a year off to think about where to focus her energies. Working at Wesley had been great while her two children were young, but her real interest was in working with adolescents.

“I became interested in the increasing number of homeless families in our area,” says Steinhardt. “I found out that there are approximately 2,000 homeless people in Fairfax County and half of these are children.”

When a friend asked Steinhardt if she knew anyone interested in developing an early childhood program for young women who were either homeless or inappropriately housing their children, Steinhardt decided to consider the job herself. With an M.A. in human development and family studies, she had the proper credentials. And while the 40-hour-a-week commitment was more than she had planned on, Steinhardt decided to take the plunge.

Today, Steinhardt is the Program Coordinator and Early Childhood Development Specialist for Assisting Young Mothers (AYM), a program that provides shelter, counseling, education, and job readiness skills to women ages 18-21, and their children.

The AYM house—a brick split-foyer tucked away in a neighborhood between Route 66 and Lee Highway—is currently home to four young women. One has an active toddler, one has a newborn, and two are due very shortly. Each woman gets her own bedroom to share with her child, and the kitchen, dining room, and living room are shared. The home’s small fifth bedroom serves as the office for Steinhardt and two other AYM staffers.

Complete copy available upon request.