GIRLS LIKE US
EMPOWERMENT GROUP
EMBRACE - ENLIGHTEN - EMPOWER
Girls Like Us (G.L.U.) is a prevention-based empowerment program for Black and Brown girls ages 8–15, based at West End Neighborhood House powered by DSCYF. Serving over 150 participants weekly, G.L.U. focuses on building protective factors like self-confidence, positive peer connections, and trusted adult relationships. Through group discussions and interactive activities, girls explore topics such as safety, self-care, emotional regulation, and advocacy. The program offers a safe, supportive space that fosters resilience, belonging, and the skills needed to thrive in school and life.
Community Partners
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Bayard Middle School
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Children & Families First DE
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Pulaski Elementary School
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Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy
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McCullough Middle School
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Serviam Girls Academy
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The Terry Center
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City of Wilmington Delaware
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West End Neighborhood House
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Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families
WHAT WE DO
Changing the narrative while advancing Black Girls by providing experience, education, and opportunity to uplift and advocate for themselves.
WHO WE SERVE
Girls Like Us (G.L.U.) is dedicated to supporting Black and Brown girls from high need communities who are often impacted by adultification, family instability, and the intergenerational effects of substance use, incarceration, and poverty.
Through weekly sessions, G.L.U. focuses on strengthening protective factors such as self-worth, emotional regulation, positive identity development, and healthy peer and adult relationships.
Our sessions emphasize self-love, self-care, and leadership development, helping girls build the confidence and resilience needed to make positive life choices and advocate for their well-being.
By combining education, experience, and engagement, G.L.U. ensures that each participant receives holistic, age-appropriate support within a continuum of care that nurtures healing, growth, and long-term empowerment.
HOW WE SERVE
G.L.U. creates a trauma-responsive and culturally grounded environment that nurtures healing, belonging, and resilience in Black and Brown girls. Through evidence based prevention programming, G.L.U. strengthens protective factors such as emotional regulation, positive peer connection, and mentorship with caring adults who reflect their lived experiences.
Our sessions integrate social-emotional learning, life-skills training, and character development to promote healthy decision-making, self-advocacy, and resistance to negative influences. Each activity reinforces safety, self-worth, and cultural pride—empowering girls to thrive in school, at home, and within their communities.
We create opportunities for girls to be seen, heard, and supported as children first—while equipping them with the confidence and tools to lead, uplift, and transform their communities.
CHILDHOOD ADULTIFICATION
Let Our Girls Be Girls
Adultification occurs when children are prematurely exposed to adult responsibilities or knowledge—often assuming caregiving, financial, or emotional roles within their families. This early role reversal typically arises in families facing economic hardship, housing instability, or limited social support, and it increases vulnerability to stress, trauma, and burnout.
Ethnographic research by Burton identifies four stages of childhood adultification, which can erode protective factors such as stable adult guidance and age-appropriate socialization:
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Precocious Knowledge – Children gain early awareness of adult issues (e.g., finances, relationships) and may imitate adult behaviors.
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Mentored Adultification – A child assumes limited adult roles under some supervision, often feeling valued yet still navigating power dynamics.
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Peerification/Spousification – The parent-child boundary blurs as the child becomes a peer, confidant, or co-parent figure.
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Parentification – The child fully assumes parental duties, caring for siblings or even parents—common in families affected by poverty or substance use.
Adultification disproportionately affects youth of color and those from low-income households, weakening protective factors like consistent caregiving, emotional safety, and social support. Strengthening family resilience, increasing access to community resources, and offering prevention programs that promote coping skills, mentorship, and emotional regulation are critical to disrupting this cycle and restoring balance to family systems.
OUR WHY
Black Girls and other Girls of Color often experience bias and inequity in schools and communities that limit their opportunities to thrive. Girls Like Us (G.L.U.) advocates for fair policies, supportive environments, and access to resources that nurture success, wellness, and leadership. By centering prevention, empowerment, and belonging, we work to ensure every girl is seen, supported, and celebrated for who she is and who she’s becoming.
When Girls thrive, communities Rise!
WAYS TO HELP
Take Action Now
MAKE A DONATION
Show Your Support
Your support helps us empower the next generation of girls through mentorship, education, and prevention.
Every gift—no matter the size—makes a difference. All donations are fully tax-deductible.
Please include “Girls Like Us” in the gift note to ensure your contribution is directed to our program.
Audre Lorde
“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives”
CONTACT GIRLS LIKE US
West End Neighborhood House, Inc.
710 N Lincoln St.
Wilmington, DE, 19805