Sonrisa Family Transitional Living Program provides eight apartments to homeless families with children. Below-market rents are based on income, and families can stay in the two- or three-bedroom apartments for up to two years while they save funds to move into permanent housing of their own. Children are the fastest growing homeless cohort nationwide, and studies have demonstrated the detrimental effects homelessness has on a child’s development. At Sonrisa, a program manager and child counselor work directly with families and the children to address behavioral, employment, educational, medical and any other issues that may be impairing progress toward self-improvement and reliance. Financial counseling, life-skills training, parenting skills, weekly group discussions, recreational activities and close cooperation with public school counselors are required for all residents. This is the only such program in Northern New Mexico, and through its 10-year history, 80 percent of residents have successfully moved into permanent housing with many now owning their own homes.