2525 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805-5457
www.crossroad-fwch.org www.facebook.com/crossroad.cares
260.484.2337 or 888.814.4521 fax
260.484.4153 or 800.976.2306
A MISSION MOMENT FOR CROSSROAD CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES IN FORT WAYNE, IN.
Crossroad is a member of the Council for Health and Human Services Ministries (CHHSM)
of the United Church of Christ
Crossroad Child & Family Services was founded in 1883 as an orphanage by the German Reformed Church in the United States (one of the predecessor denominations to the UCC). They were founded as the Reformed Orphan’s Home of Fort Wayne, IN to care for the “neediest of God’s children.” Ohio churches were very involved in the creation of the organization “way out in the Western Synod of the church” in Fort Wayne, Indiana! Crossroad has been supported by the predecessor churches to the UCC and the United Church of Christ throughout their nearly 133-year history.
Over the years their name changed and their services evolved as the needs of children changed.
Today’s Mission: “Crossroad creates promising futures for children in difficult circumstances by providing therapy, education and family support services.”
Crossroad is known throughout the Midwest as one of the largest providers of treatment for troubled children and their families. They are also known as a state-of-the-art rather than a run-of-the-mill faith-based agency; and the place that will accept the most challenging children other places will often not work with.
They accept referrals from mental health professionals, parents, judges, educators, The Department of Child Services, Juvenile Probation, and others. They offer a spectrum of services ranging from out-patient and home-based therapy, to their core services in residential treatment, Psychiatric Residential Treatment, and education in their on-campus school. The emotionally troubled children they work with may also be autistic, MR/DD (Mentally Retarded/Developmentally Disabled) medically fragile or suffering from brain trauma. Most children are victims of physical or sexual abuse and extreme neglect. They are also now receiving referrals for children who are victims of human trafficking. Boys and girls in their residential services are as young as age 6. They are often children who have been hurt the most by those who should have loved and protected them the most!
Currently Crossroad’s residential living units are full and they have lengthy waiting-lists! Much of this is due to the growing epidemic of drug-abuse amongst adults using heroin, meth, and/or opioids. Adults using drugs often seriously abuse and neglect the children in their homes. Crossroad is currently working on a plan to make room to help more children.
Crossroad participates in the IARCCA Outcomes project, one of the largest outcomes projects in the country for agencies working with children in services. Their Outcomes show that children in most Crossroad services have more risk factors than children in like-programs at other providers, meaning their children are much more difficult to treat. Yet, their outcomes at discharge show that the percentage of improvement for children is close to or better than the benchmarks.
That is all important information but it really is the kids that tell the story of Crossroad best.
Meet J! J had a rough start to life. His mother used alcohol and drugs while pregnant. As an infant and toddler, he was a victim of emotional and physical abuse plus neglect. Child Protective Services stepped in to care for J, and his mother lost her parental rights. J was three years old when he was adopted and gained a mom, dad, and sister. Around the same time, as a result of his early childhood trauma, he began to exhibit problem behaviors including hitting, biting, yelling, and property destruction. He displayed severe mood swings, suicidal ideation, and sleep disturbances. J grew increasingly aggressive towards all members of his new family. Several times as a teen, J was a patient in a psychiatric hospital; his diagnoses included Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Intermittent Explosive Disorder. Because of his continued aggression toward those around him and physical harm inflicted on family members, he was placed with Crossroad for intensive treatment. J was slow to engage with his treatment team, and his family was hesitant to be involved with treatment for fear of being physically harmed again. J’s treatment included behavioral modification and social skills training, which enabled him to regulate his emotions better and decrease aggressive behaviors. Because of relationships with staff on the Crossroad campus, he learned to build better relationships with his family members, and his family became confident in taking him on overnight home passes. After nearly three years of services, J completed high school on time and transitioned to a specialized group home. His family continues to be involved in his transition to adulthood. J will always have some developmental challenges, but he is working, he is happy, and he is hopeful!
THAT is a success story.
THAT is why Crossroad does what they do! With help! Help from people like us and Crossroad staff who care about children. Our prayers and our gifts make a difference. We help create promising futures for hurting children!
If you have questions about using this mission moment, please contact:
Kyle Zanker
Chief Development Officer
260.484.4153 x 2090