Budget cuts threatens teen pregnancy program

A program designed to help pregnant girls deliver healthy babies, and continue their education, may have to close it’s doors,  and now they’re asking for your help.

The Florence Crittenton Program, the only one of it’s kind in the state, has been a part of the Charleston community for 111 years, but now faces closing it’s doors due to budget cuts.  Lisa Belton is the program’s director of operations.  She says, “We suffered a significant cut in our funding and we had basically been treading water since that time.  Unfortunately it’s come to a critical point, and other sources of funding that have been reliable in the past just is not coming through.  So we’re at the point where it’s difficult just to pay the day to day bills.  We’re having to face the possibility of closing our doors.“

The program provides housing, medical care, educational services and counseling for young expecting mothers age 10 to 21, so babies are born healthy.  Fourteen-year-old Teanna Thomas came to the Florence Crittenton House when she was 13.  Now, 34 weeks pregnant she is among twenty other soon to be young mothers who came to the program for help.  Teanna says, “They teach me how to be independent here, because I was relying on other people.  Now I know I can take care of him.  I know how to change diapers and wash him, and feed him, and all the things I need to know, but I didn’t know any of that before I came here and the classes really helped.“

The news of possibly closure is solemn for those who seek help through the program.  Nineteen-year-old Kayleigh Vance says, “I’ve heard that they may have to close, and i just think it’s so sad, because I don’t know what I would of done if I didn’t have something like this.  Hopefully we can keep it open.“  Teanna Thomas says, “I’d be really sad because a lot of girls you really wouldn’t expect end up pregnant and they don’t really know.  Once you come here, you realize wow, if this wasn’t here, where would I be or what would I know? Where would my kid be?  It’s not just helping the girls, it’s helping their babies.  If Ii didn’t come here, I probably would have just been home.  The baby probably wouldn’t have been healthy.  I probably would have lost it.  The baby would have probably died without the proper care that he needs, and I need.  I could of died being so young, so without here I don’t know what would have happened.“  Director Lisa belton says, “It would be a real tragedy for all the future young women who would not be able to be helped by this program.“

Now they’re reaching out to local churches for help. Belton says, “We have a campaign where we’re asking a hundred churches to donate a thousand dollars and that can help sustain us until we can get a firm fitting and plan for long term sustainability.“ It costs a million dollars a year to run the program.  Belton says if they don’t raise the 100-thousand dollars through this campaign,  they will have to close the doors January first..

The program needs money, in addition to baby clothes and items.  For information on how you can help call 843-722-7526.  You can also mail donations to Florence Crittenton Program at 19 St. Margaret Street, Charleston, SC 29403.