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The Florence Crittenton Mission Board
Following the death of his 4-year-old daughter in 1882, Charles Crittenton, a wealthy New York business owner, began attending noon prayer meetings in the vicinity of his office. He met Smith Allen at one of the meetings and accompanied the evangelist on one of his evening rounds of the vice district. The men's meeting with two prostitutes resulted in Crittenton wondering where the women would find shelter if they reformed their behavior. He investigated and found that the homes for destitute girls were prison-like and unsuitable for helping these young women. A group of men, at Crittenton's urging, and despite potential social risks, established the Florence Night Mission, named in honor of Crittenton's daughter, in 1883 in New York City.
The establishment of the Florence Night Mission started a worldwide movement. Florence Crittenton homes were established in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As Crittenton traveled around the world, he studied the problems of prostitution in every major city he visited, and additional Florence Crittenton homes were established--three in California.
In 1893, Crittenton met Kate Waller Barrett, who had opened a maternity home in Atlanta. They formed a working partnership and established several more homes in Pennsylvania and Kansas. In 1895, the Florence Crittenton Mission was incorporated with Charles Crittenton as President and Barrett as Vice President. Forty-six Florence Crittenton homes were established by 1897, and 67 were listed as members by 1914, including homes in China, France, Japan, and Mexico. Crittenton died in 1909 and was succeeded by Barrett.
The Florence Crittenton Mission proposed in 1950 to establish a new national organization, the Florence Crittenton Homes Association (FCHA) to unite the autonomous Crittenton homes. In 1960, FCHA changed its name to the Florence Crittenton Association of America (FCAA) because many agencies that did not offer residential services did not want "Homes" in the title.
The Florence Crittenton Mission's initial focus on helping young mothers care for their children gradually shifted to assisting young women make decisions about their futures and those of their infants. As social attitudes and values related to single parenthood and birth control changed, many Crittenton homes closed around the country. FCAA agencies began extending services to young women who were not pregnant. Member agencies grew more diverse and sought ways to redefine the FCAA's role as a national social service organization. In 1971, FCAA joined the Family Service Association of America CWLA to study the national structure of services to families and children.
In 1976, all 36 Florence Crittenton agencies become part of the Florence Crittenton Division of CWLA. The Florence Crittenton Division, in response to the rising incidents of teen pregnancy, helped create federal legislation that focused exclusively on the problem of adolescent pregnancy. The Adolescent Health Services and Pregnancy Prevention Act of 1978 encouraged a method of comprehensive treatment that became the national model for adolescent pregnancy programs.
Today, there are 30 Florence Crittenton agencies across the United States. They have carried on the tradition of excellence in serving pregnant and parenting teens, as well as providing other needed services to nonpregnant teens and their families. Although Florence Crittenton is no longer a division of CWLA, both agencies continue to share the goal of advancing the well being of parenting and non-parent adolescents.
Although the Florence Crittenton Mission doesn't have a central website at this time, information can be found on the many different individual Florence Crittenton home websites; those websites can be found through an Internet search of "Florence Crittenton."
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