Mission Statement
Florence Crittenton provides innovative, comprehensive services and nurturing programs that engage and empower children, young adults and young families to thrive and build productive lives.
Who They Are
For 117 years, Florence Crittenton has provided effective intervention and prevention services to parenting families and their children across Montana. They aim to serve the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in Montana. It is their belief that by addressing the core issues with these young families they can make systemic change in communities, benefiting not just those families served today, but everyone they touch in their daily lives in the future.
They know the most effective way to improve life outcomes and better communities is through a two-generation, trauma and gender responsive, comprehensive approach. They provide early intervention and education for young children and treatment, recovery, and education for parents. FCHS uses intervention strategies for parents struggling with barriers to providing care to their children –such as trauma, substance abuse or histories of intergenerational abuse, neglect, unstable housing, & poverty. For infants and toddlers, they offer prevention of these traumas being passed down to the next generation. These efforts all aim to give every family the tools to success, every child an equal start, and every community in Montana the foundation to thrive.
While many organizations aim to serve either parents or children and tackling just one aspect, FCHS focuses on comprehensive, Family Centered Treatment to support all members of the family. It is critical to address the underlying trauma to focus on the challenges faced by families and prevent them in the future.
What They Do
Utilizing the ARC trauma responsive framework, FCHS programs that serve at-risk parents, young children, and young families effectively providing a continuum of care depending on the intensity of needs and support of each family. FCHS maintains a philosophy and standard of care that every family deserves to be treated as a whole family, with dignity, compassion and respect.
FCHS works to achieve their goals through 3 divisions of services: Residential Services serve pregnant and parenting mothers ages 12-21, and their young children from across Montana who are struggling with stable housing, child removal or reunification, juvenile justice involvement, and challenges such as substance use and mental illness.
The Family & Children Services serves families with children ages 0-5 in Lewis & Clark County and surrounding area through classes and home visiting services that provide parenting and early childhood development education and support for parents in order to prevent child abuse and neglect. Additionally, the Family & Children Services includes our Child Enrichment Center (CEC), a highly specialized, licensed daycare center that serves 12 infants and toddlers up to age 2, both community-based and residential children. FCHS will be expanding our childcare in January 2018, opening a new early learning center for 2-3 year olds.
The Clinical Services include substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery, mental health interventions, and treatment for co-occurring disorders, all in a family-centered, outpatient setting. In addition, FCHS advocates for the appropriate care and treatment of families facing multiple challenges through trainings, consulting, coaching, and practicum/internship opportunities, as well expert testimony and information for legislative and state entities.
BACF Impact
The general operating support of the donors of the Bozeman Area Community Foundation was utilized to offset the many costs associated with operating a 24-hour intensive therapeutic facility, as well as community-based services. This includes staffing costs, utilities, nutritional expenses, and necessary building maintenance. They were also used to assist in the funding gap in the childcare center for those families on Best Beginnings scholarships. These funds were imperative in Florence Crittenton’s ability to continue to provide high quality care and opportunities for young families to succeed.