Page 50 - Cityview_May_June_2014

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT

Story by mark Spurlock

Photography by colby mcLemore

SAFE HAVEn

Florence Crittenton Association

S

o c i e t y h a s a w a y o f Additionally, you might also be independently, meaning they were less
defying expectations.
surprised that a charitable organiza- likely to choose to become residents of

last year, the Census Bureau tion such as Knoxville’s florence group homes. Although welfare reform
released a sobering report Crittenton Association (fCA)—which and the government’s Second Chance

about birth rates for unmar-
from its founding focused much of its home program have since revived the
ried American women that showed work on serving unwed mothers—has concept of maternity group homes, the

recent rates are 11 times higher than diversified its programs during the fCA had already responded to society’s
before World War II and roughly twice same period to become a residential changes by constructing and moving

as high as 1980. In fact, approximately center for all troubled teenagers, male to a new 26-acre facility on Dick lonas
two out of every five births in the united and female. Despite more unmarried Road. Today, the fCA’s new mission is

States are now to unwed mothers. The women becoming pregnant than ever “strengthening communities through
statistics are higher for teens: almost 90 before, during the 1980s maternity effective prevention and treatment

percent of women giving birth before group homes such as the fCA’s old services to children and families.”
age 20 today do so out of wedlock.
facility on Texas Avenue became less

These numbers have consequences, essential and began to disappear. The RESIDEnTIAL PROGRAMS
as the report further asserts that “chil- fCA has survived and flourished, but What that means is, at its current

dren who are born to unmarried parents not by taking in ever greater numbers location, the fCA offers programs not
are more likely to live in poverty and to of young, pregnant women.
only for pregnant and parenting teens

have poor developmental outcomes.”
The partial explanation for the shift but also for young people with be-
Most adults have a general impres- is that social attitudes changed in havioral disorders and problems with

sion of these social changes, even if as response to the increase in the number substance abuse. According to its last
individuals we may not be familiar with of women having babies without first annual report, the scope of those pro-

the Census Bureau’s report. In trying
marrying. When the fCA home was re- grams provided more than $5 million
to explain the trends, however, perhaps established in 1963 after a half-century in services to the Knoxville community.

we would not have an easy answer as to hiatus caused by financial difficulties, it Although the composition of the fCA’s
why they are happening precisely dur- was common for these young women to clients has changed, by far the biggest

ing a time when abortion is legal (since be abandoned by their families and face share of that outlay is still for the on-
1973), the birth control pill is accessible social ostracism for “getting in trouble.” campus 56-bed residential facilities.

(since 1960), and American girls and This stigma declined, however, as more fCA President and CEo Nancy
women know more about sexual re- and more families found themselves in Christian describes her agency’s cost

production than ever before. All three the same situation.
structure: “offering 24-hour care seven
factors would have been expected to At the same time, and perhaps more days a week is an expensive undertak-

reduce births among those least able to importantly, the Aid to families with ing. We have to keep six buildings with
support children. Surprisingly, that has Dependent Children Act increased power and water, and then there is

not been the case.
the ability of unwed mothers to live
the required human capital of our 130

48 cityviewmag.com may june 2014