COVID-19: What Florence Crittenton Services is Doing

Staff pass out basic needs kits to teen moms and their children

Florence Crittenton High School and the Florence Crittenton Services’ Early Childhood Education Center are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but our teen families continue to rely on FloCrit for basic necessities items, parenting essentials, and program services.

FloCrit helps our teen families year-round by providing basic needs and parenting items that can be expensive for them to purchase on their own. Diapers, wipes, formula, grocery gift cards, feminine hygiene products, and children’s books are just a few of the items that were part of the basic needs kits we sent home with our moms on the last day before our campus closed.

In addition to ensuring our teen families have the essential supplies they need, FloCrit program staff is continuing to provide social-emotional support through regular virtual check-ins with our teen moms. Staff continues to provide basic needs kits with diapers and wipes and gift cards for food, dropping them, off at homes of our moms. Family Advocates have been available to talk, whether that’s around a difficult and challenging conversation or the new latest TV show. The Early Childhood Education team is creating virtual content (some of which we are sharing on our Facebook page for you to enjoy with your families) to keep our littlest FloCritters engaged and learning while they are away from school.

High school staff works with young moms to complete remote learning. At FloCrit, connection is first and is a priority. Teachers and staff make sure they are connecting with young moms and, as FloCrit’s trauma-informed staff always does, to make sure they feel supported and safe to continue learning as they can. To accomplish that, staff maintains flexibility with our scholars. Knowing and understanding that so many of them have many additional challenges at home, high school staff anticipates that girls will be able to engage only as they are able. Teachers and staff dialogue about girls who are not engaging so that above all else, they can check in on them to make sure they and their families and babies are doing ok.

Get a video update from leadership staff about how we have been supporting our teen families while campus is closed. Hear from Principal Michelle Wright, Student and Family Support Program Director Desta Taye-Channell, Early Childhood Education Center Director MonaLisa Martinez, and President and CEO Suzanne Banning.