Grantee Spotlight – Florence Crittenton Services
Florence Crittenton Services (FloCrit) is a Denver non-profit with a mission to educate, prepare and empower teen mothers and their children to become productive members of the community.
Flo Crit meets every need of mom and the child, offering a comprehensive program with everything on site. To support a teen mother’s education, you must first meet all her and her child’s basic needs. FloCrit does this and then more with skills focus areas on positive relationships, emotional intelligence, navigating resources and advocacy, health and wellness, education and employability, and parenting and child development.
They offer a full-service family resource center that includes an Early Childhood Education Center, the Alethia E. Morgan, MD Health Center, and on-site High School. They are also a part of the Ascend Network working to influence practice and policy change. Through Ascend, they were instrumental in establishing the Colorado Teen Parent Collaborative, a statewide group of organizations which raises public awareness, shares resources, and advocates for public policy to benefit teen parents and their children.
“Florence Crittenton Services initially became aware of the RMA Children’s Foundation through a former FloCrit Development Officer. RMA Children’s Foundation first funded FloCrit in 2013, and since then, has been a valuable partner for us. Support from the RMA Children’s Foundation plays a direct role in our ability to provide the care and support that will empower teen mothers and their children to pursue healthy and productive lives.” Sheila Mahony, Director, Strategy & Evaluation
Why RMA Chooses to Support FloCrit
FloCrit is not just investing in one child, but two children, creating cycles of success for at least two generations. They work to break cycles of poverty and proud of their 75% high school graduation rate. This organization was started over 125 years ago, but they recognize the need to continuously change and adapt according to the needs in Denver. They help teen mothers complete high school, transition to college and a career, become self-sufficient, and improve their physical and mental health.
Plans for the RMA Grant They Received
The RMA funds received in 2018 and 2019 are used to support comprehensive wrap-around services for teen mothers through the Student and Family Support Program (SFSP) including parent training and education for the mothers and high-quality early learning for their children at the Early Childhood Education (ECE) center.
They also will be able to provide more lunch-n-learns around conscious discipline curriculum, financial literacy, and education in social and emotional skills. FloCrit works with over 500 mothers in the Denver area and we are proud to contribute to their mission.
Learn more about Florence Crittenton Services https://flocritco.org/who-we-are/
FloCrit is just one of the many organizations that RMA chooses to support. We hope to grant even more money to these types of organizations in 2020. Show your support for RMA and donate today!