Over forty years ago, YouthCare’s founders responded to a calling to serve homeless youth in their neighborhood. Fast forward to today, and YouthCare is building on its mission to end youth homelessness with boldness and intention. We knew it was time for our website to reflect the same.

In the past year, we’ve worked hard to design our new website thoughtfully—ensuring it is highly accessible, easy to navigate, and engaging to our visitors. Read below to learn about some of the changes you’ll see on our new site!

 

 

• Designed with Youth in Mind: At every step, we tried to make it easy for young people seeking services to find the information they need. Our Get Help page is the most visible button on every page and lists our point-of-entry services—complete with addresses, contact information, hours, and services available.
• Welcoming to Youth: YouthCare strives to provide a welcoming environment for all youth. Our Get Help page is translated into five different languages: Spanish, Somali, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Chinese. These languages are based on data for the top languages spoken in King County and data collected internally from staff and youth accessing services.
• Simplistic, Conscious Design: We admit our old website wasn’t the easiest on the eyes: outdated typography made text difficult to read and the patterned background was busy and distracting. Our redesign is clean and simple—a sharp typeface, higher contrast for better visibility, and added white space for optical balance.
• (New) Advocacy Section: Boldly fulfilling our mission means stepping up our advocacy efforts at the federal, state, and local level. We’re fighting for budget matters and public policies that impact youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. Check out our brand new advocacy pages to read YouthCare’s legislative agendas, endorsed positions, and agency statements. Join us in advocating for homeless youth!
• (New) YouthCare Blog: We’re excited to bring you news and updates from around YouthCare, including program updates, staff reflections, and youth stories!
• (New) Events Calendar: Our new events calendar is a great way to learn about upcoming YouthCare-related events, community happenings, and social justice events recommended by YouthCare’s Cultural Impact Committee.
• (New) Impact Report: YouthCare believes that ongoing program evaluation is central to providing high-quality services and meeting our desired impact. Check out our impact report to see data regarding our services and outcomes.
• Enhanced Features: Whether you’re a long-time supporter of YouthCare or looking to get involved, there are several improved features to try out. Signing up to host a drive or prepare a meal at YouthCare’s Orion Center is easier than ever!
• Improved Accessibility: We integrated best practices in website accessibility for visitors who are visually impaired. This includes including alternative text for all images and designing the site with larger text, elements, and graphics.
• Fully Responsive: With the rise of smartphones and tablets, we improved our user experience by making our site fully responsive. Regardless of your screen size or device, you’ll be able to view all available content optimally.

We encourage you to explore our new site! If you encounter any errors or broken links, or if you have any questions or concerns, please email nicole.phaysith@youthcare.org.