National Florence Crittenton Mission facts for kids
The National Florence Crittenton Mission was an organization started in 1883 by Charles Nelson Crittenton. It aimed to help young women and mothers who needed support by creating special homes where they could live and learn useful skills.
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What Was the Florence Crittenton Mission?
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The National Florence Crittenton Mission was a group that built homes to help young women. These homes offered a safe place to stay and learn important life skills. The goal was to give these women a fresh start and help them become independent.
How Did It Start?
The very first home opened in New York City. Seven years later, in 1890, a second Florence Crittenton Home started in San Jose, California. Charles Crittenton began this work to support women in need.
Who Was Kate Waller Barrett?
Soon after the first homes opened, a pioneering woman doctor named Kate Waller Barrett joined Charles Crittenton. She became a key leader for the organization. Dr. Barrett helped the Crittenton movement grow into a large network. At its busiest, there were 76 homes across the United States. There were also homes in other countries like China, France, Japan, and Mexico.
Dr. Barrett had new ideas about educating and training women. These ideas were very modern for her time. Many Crittenton homes used her ideas to help young women and girls. This work also helped shape how social work became a professional field. It also changed how people thought about motherhood and women's roles in society.
A National Effort
In 1898, the U.S. Congress passed a special law. President William McKinley signed this law. It gave the National Florence Crittenton Mission a national charter forever. This was the first time a U.S. national charter was given to a charity organization. The main office for the national mission was in Washington, D.C.. However, most of its work happened in New York City.
Changes Over Time
By 1950, there were two groups linked to the original mission. These were the National Florence Crittenton Mission and the Florence Crittenton Homes Association. The Homes Association had its main office in Chicago, Illinois.
Later, in 1976, the Florence Crittenton Association of America joined with the Child Welfare League of America. The Florence Crittenton Mission kept giving money to the Crittenton Division of the Child Welfare League.
In 2006, the National Florence Crittenton Mission got a new name. It became The National Crittenton Foundation. This organization then separated from the Child Welfare League of America. It went back to being an independent group. Today, it works with many Crittenton-related agencies across the country. The National Crittenton Foundation's main office is now in Portland, Oregon.
