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Suzanne Banning is the President & CEO of Florence Crittenton Services. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and learn more at www.flocritco.org.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
We are a single point of entry to accessing a wide range of educational and human services all year long, all at no cost to our teen families.
The Florence Crittenton Campus is a Family Resource Center for teen families. Our facilities include family-friendly space for staff and community partners to provide educational and human services on-site; a gymnasium equipped with safe and appropriate fitness equipment for the whole family; 11-passenger vans and small buses to assist teen mothers and children with transportation; an expanded and renovated Early Childhood Education Center for children of teen mothers ages 6 weeks through Pre-K; and the Alethia E. Morgan, MD Health Center—the first school-based health center in Colorado to offer both obstetrics and pediatrics.
The campus also includes Florence Crittenton High School, where teen mothers can earn a Denver Public Schools diploma on-site. Teen mothers, young fathers, and extended family members are able to access customized wraparound services on-site that include: high quality, year-round early childhood education, parenting and child development education, art therapy and mental health counseling, regular, family-focused case management provided by our SFSP Family Advocates, health services and education, financial education, and community and public resource referrals.
WHY DO YOU DO IT?
Nationally, only 38% of girls who become pregnant before turning 18 graduate from high school. At Florence Crittenton Services, we more than double that graduation rate. Our mission is to educate, prepare, and empower teen mothers and their children. We break the cycle of poverty for two generations – teen mother and child – through education, health and wellness, and economic and social asset building. Not only do we help teen mothers graduate from high school, we also ensure that their children are kindergarten-ready.
WHAT IMPACT ARE YOU MAKING?
Over the past three years, Florence Crittenton Services has served 652 teen mothers. During that time, 109 teen mothers have graduated, which gives us an 89% graduation rate. Thanks to the pre-natal education and health services provided on campus, 90% of babies born to our teen moms over the last three years were full-term and a healthy weight. We served 501 young children, 75 young fathers, and 579 extended family members from 2015 to 2017.
WHAT (OR WHO) INSPIRES YOU TO MAKE THIS IMPACT?
We are continually inspired by our teen mothers and their strength. Each young woman comes to Florence Crittenton Services because she wants to continue her education, oftentimes to provide better opportunities for her child. Every day, our teen mothers overcome overwhelming challenges. They get themselves and their children up early every morning to get to school, sometimes traveling an hour on public transportation. They care for their child while studying for tests and working. Our young moms often face housing instability and poverty. Despite all of this, they come to school, motivated to learn, graduate, and create cycles of success for themselves and their children.
WHAT’S YOUR BIG DREAM FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND THE IMPACT YOU WANT TO MAKE?
Our dream is that every young mom in our community knows about our campus and has the ability to access all the resources they need to have their dreams come true.
WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU NEED TO MAKE THOSE DREAMS COME TRUE?
We need to have the community believe that our young moms can succeed by investing financial resources as well as time through one of our many volunteer opportunities.
WHAT IS (OR HAS BEEN) YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
Currently, we have an amazing campus where our young moms can receive almost all of the resources they and their children need. Our biggest challenge has been transportation for our young moms, who come from all over the metro Denver area, and affordable housing.
WHAT WORDS OF ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER LEADERS LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT?
Florence Crittenton Services partners with so many organizations in the Denver community. We are constantly inspired by their willingness to work with with us and help our young families succeed. The nonprofit and business leaders in within metro Denver have always had a strong relationships that have led to a stronger community.
HOW CAN OTHERS SUPPORT YOU OR YOUR CAUSE?
There are many ways that you can support Florence Crittenton Services. Make a donation on our website. Contact our Development department to find out how to join our 125 Legacy Circle. Volunteer individually or as a group on our campus to support the services we provide to our teen mothers and their children. Set up a DIY fundraising event. Volunteer at one of our annual fundraising events or monthly family engagement events.
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