Our Mission

·         Commitment:

Single Parents with Voices want single parents to commit to their success and be inspired to want to reach their goals through pro-social friendships, networking, and strong interpersonal skills; therefore, instilling a sense of hope in the future.

·         Responsibility:

The focus of Single Parents with Voice is to empower single parents in establishing goals and following through on their commitments.

·         Possibility:

Single Parents with Voices want to expand the perspective of single parents to make them aware of life’s possibilities and advancements through networking and counseling.

·         Support:

An individual is dramatically influenced by their support system. Single Parents with Voices want to surround single parents in a caring, inclusive networking environment.

Ms. Veronica Francis created Single Parents with Voices Inc. in 2012. Ms. Francis struggled as a single parent of three children. Ms. Francis was working two jobs and attending college for her Bachelors. Ms. Francis completed her Bachelors in 2010 but still could not find a job that would financially support her family. Ms. Francis did not know of the support and resources in her community. Ms. Francis ends up homeless and living in a hotel infested with mice, with her three children in August of 2011. Ms. Francis did not have the tools or the support to help her be a successful single parent. The complications Ms. Francis had trying to get her family help were unacceptable. Ms. Francis began reaching out to other single parents that lived in the hotel. Ms. Francis created a single parent group that met in her room every Friday. In the meeting, the single parents discussed their barriers and what they feel is preventing them from succeeding as a single parent. Ms. Francis began advocating for the single parents when they went to appointments at Rensselaer County Department of Social Services. Ms. Francis has a daughter with mental disabilities. Ms. Francis’ daughter was placed in a residential on March 20th, 2012 because Ms. Francis lacked a sufficient and strong support system, which made her unable to meet her daughter’s needs. The placement of Ms. Francs’ daughter inspired Ms. Francis to start advocating services for single parents with children that have mental disorders at CSE meetings. In December of 2012, Ms. Francis registered Singe Parents with Voices Inc. with the state as a non-profit organization. In January of 2013, almost all the single parents that attended Ms. Francis groups was moved into an apartment or accepted into the housing programs, including Ms. Francis and her family. Ms. Francis’ daughter was returned home and accepted to an outpatient facility in Wynantskill, NY. Ms. Francis had her fourth child on August 22nd, 2013. Ms. Francis continues to help families today and is looking for a building and operational grant so she can help more families in the Capital Region like she helped the multiple families at the hotel get out of poverty. Today, Ms. Francis still works with at least eight families which three are from her past groups in 2011. Ms. Francis needs the community support to provide resources and services to single parents.