Support for families in crisis

COEUR d’ALENE —  In its 33 years, Children’s Village has responded to help thousands of children in need.

Its new Family Support Center will allow it to take a different approach.

“Changing from reactive to preventive work with families is always what we’ve wanted to do,” said Vanessa Moos, chief executive officer of Children’s Village. “This building allows us to be more ahead of a crisis instead of just reactive, which makes us really proud.”

About 100 people attended Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony that included speeches and tours of the new 5,000-square-foot facility.

Staffed by Children’s Village, Kootenai County diversion and probation departments, and additional nonprofit partners, families in crisis will have immediate access to resources at this multi-agency resource center until 6 p.m. It will have an entry point off Hanley Avenue.

Nonprofit Village of Hope has also moved their organization into the building to collaborate closer with the other agencies.

“Before our new service, if we did not have a bed for a child to stay in, we were unable to help their family. Now, with our Family Support Center, we can wrap around these families to see what they need, including but not limited to their kids living with us,” Moos said.

Children’s Village has partnered for years with a local youth mental health collaborative, including school districts, county and city departments, to find resources to address family crisis. 

“Escalating youth behaviors indicate an underlying issue. With the addition of a resource center, our community can connect and try to fill those gaps, if the family chooses to participate,” said Rosa Mettler, chief operations officer for Children’s Village. “We owe that family a deeper look in a safe, neutral and supportive environment.”

Children’s Village was selected in 2022 by the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections to receive $1.5 million for a multi-agency resource center. Funding came from the voter-approved 2021 state fund by Gov. Brad Little to increase youth crisis resources across the state.

Little, in a prepared statement, said Children’s Village is “among the most honorable that an organization can have in our society. 

“I applaud all of those whose love of community and hard work brought the Family Support Center to fruition,” he said.

Little also credited the Idaho Behavioral Health Council and the legislative and judicial branches of government for their roles.

“I am grateful for their shared recognition that safe communities —  that is, communities that Idaho’s children and grandchildren choose to stay in and return to, which has been my administration’s mission —  depend on access to behavioral health resources.”

Since it opened in December, the center has already worked with about 50 families and as word spreads, Moos expects its services to be even more in demand.

“Absolutely,” she said.

Mettler said the center will help them address family issues that come with a growing, changing community.

“We know if we get ahead of this we’ll have a better chance at really making a difference,” she said.

Children’s Village board member Leslie Swingrover previously worked as a psychologist with the Coeur d’Alene School District.

She said the need for services to assist youth and families was great a few years ago and is even greater today.

“I cannot even imagine how busy it will be,” she said.

Mettler said the project was the result of big dreams, collaboration and penning plans on a napkin about three years ago. A groundbreaking was held in March 2023.

She said they wanted to support at-risk youth before they entered the law enforcement system while preserving the services they were already providing, which includes emergency and short-term shelter, residential treatment and family support.

“It’s really exciting to see everything came together,” she said.

    People check out the new Family Support Center at Children's Village on Thursday.
  

    Rosa Mettler, chief operations officer for Children’s Village, speaks before the ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new Family Support Center on Thursday.
  

    Children's Village CEO Vanessa Moos and COO Rosa Mettler are ready to cut the ribbon as a crowd gathers for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Family Support Center at Children's Village on Thursday.