Our Approach

We champion the Whole Family Approach, investing in and supporting partners who work with adults and children, so that the needs of the entire family can be served. We support innovative social and economic initiatives, making integrated investments into social supports, transportation and non-traditional loans, so that families can work together to set goals and plan for the future they imagine.

Prevention, rather than crisis management, is key. This is why we are steadfast champions of the Whole Family Approach – a family-led strategy that provides adults and children in the family with the tools and social support they need to set, plan for, and achieve their goals together. We know that every family’s goals are achievable. It’s why we invest in and support partners who work with adults and children in a family, so that the entire family unit can thrive as one. We support innovative social and economic initiatives, making investments into social supports, transportation, non-traditional loans and more. We believe that no family should be seen as not “poor enough” or not “bad enough” to access the tools that could potentially transform their lives.

Since our founding in 1992, we have funded major initiatives which support all members of a working low-income family, removing the barriers that block their paths to success. Our approach is guided by the following tenets:

Families are a holistic unit, and one change in circumstance for one family member affects the whole unit.
Across Southern New Jersey, we work with collaboratives — teams of social service providers — that make available a range of personalized tools to families seeking to set and reach their goals. Each collaborative meets regularly to share information, evaluate families’ progress and assess any changes required in services.
The collaborative approach means teams of agencies work together towards one family plan, avoiding the competing priorities and disjointed supports that often occur when agencies do not coordinate their efforts for one family.
Everyone needs informal support — someone they can call in the middle of the night for help during an emergency, and someone they can call in the middle of the day to share good news.
No two families need exactly the same things. We are flexible, taking care to listen to what a family wants, and work with partners to ensure families can access the resources they need to transform their lives.

We envision a world where all families define, create and live the futures they dream of. Just as one person cannot do it alone, no nonprofit or government agency working alone can address all the needs of the whole family. This is why the Pascale Sykes Foundation advocates for the Whole Family Approach, and funds collaborations that bring together the strengths of a range of partners who can coordinate efforts to strengthen the entire family unit.

A note on our evaluators: The Pascale Sykes Foundation’s South Jersey collaborations are evaluated by the Walter Rand Institute. Our Jersey City and South Bronx collaborations are evaluated by the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice.

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Whole Family Approach Basics

Several factors make the Whole Family Approach unique and effective:

Families include two adult caregivers, one working or able to work, committed to the long-term well-being of the entire family.
Families self-identify goals and work together to accomplish individual and family-wide goals.
Families create and implement plans with behavioral objectives, enabling them to reach their goals together.
Families have access to a range of organizations offering the tools to act on their plans.
Collaborations of agencies support families in achieving goals by coordinating offerings, activities and supports.

Learn more about our grant philosophy here.