What We Stand For

What were you doing last year during the hoidays? Mona (name changed) was checking her children into one of our crisis nursuries for safety. Well, honestly, she was thinking about relinquishing them and fleeing the state. It was the only way she could think of to protect herself and her children from her abusive partner. Gratefully, the Family Support Center was able to help her create a safety plan, find secure housing, and begin the legal process to protect herself from the abuser. The children were able to stay comfortably and safely in the crisis nursery for 3 days and 2 nights while Mona organized everything. This is what we do; protect children, strengthen families, and prevent child abuse. FSC is dedicated to the cause of helping women become self-sustaining and providing brighter futures for children.

You can read more success stories like Mona's on our blog

History of The Family Support Center
In 1977, there was no place in Salt Lake City where children who were at risk for abuse or neglect could receive short term crisis care. In response to this need, the Junior League of Salt Lake City and the Utah Association for Children's Therapy (U-ACT) provided funding, volunteers and Board of Directors representation and the Family Support Center was born.

At a central city site, the Family Support Center provided up to 72 hours of crisis/respite care for children under the age of nine. Other services were also offered to parents to help them deal with the problems that had brought their families to the point of crisis. Within two years FSC moved to its current location at 2020 South Lake Street in Sugar House and began providing a new Family Counseling Program. Parenting education and stress management classes were soon added.

By 1981, the demand for crisis/respite care had increased to the point that a second crisis nursery at 777 West Center Street in Midvale was opened to serve the south valley area and the program was expanded to include children up to the age of 12.

At the invitation of Utah's Department of Child and Family Services, FSC established a home-based Parent Advocate Program in 1990 to help high-risk families create more stable homes.

Services have expanded over the past 20 years to include prevention outreach to schools, daycare centers, churches, and civic organizations. Extensive efforts in reaching out to Salt Lake County's ethnically diverse communities have brought success, most notably through collaboration such as Midvale Community Building Initiative. Services and materials are in Spanish.