Crittenton Center, which operates child care and preschool services in Orange City, has received a $5 million federal grant to expand support for children and families across Siouxland.
The funding will be provided over five years through the Children’s Bureau’s Regional Partnership Grant program. It will support Crittenton’s Families Anchor Meaningful Solutions, or FAMS HUB, project, with a goal of serving 300 families.
The project will focus on families with children from birth through age 18 who are involved in or at risk of involvement in the child welfare system, particularly those affected by parental substance use.
Services will include family support, parenting education, behavioral health and substance use interventions, and connections to community resources. Crittenton says the effort is designed to help families build stability, strengthen relationships, and receive assistance before problems become crises.
Crittenton will lead the project in partnership with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and Sky Ranch Behavioral Services. The organizations will work to improve coordination among providers and access to prevention, early intervention, and treatment services.
“Families deserve access to the right support at the right time, not just when they reach a crisis,” said Crittenton Center CEO Kim Scorza. “This funding will help us strengthen the connections between services, meet families where they are, and provide meaningful support that promotes safety, stability, and long-term well-being.”
The organization already has a presence in Sioux County through its Orange City Child Development Center. Crittenton began operating child care and preschool services there in September 2024 through a partnership with the Early Childhood Development group, which includes the cities of Orange City and Alton, the MOC-Floyd Valley School District, and Orange City Area Health System.
The new award is Crittenton’s second Regional Partnership Grant, following its previous funding through the program’s seventh round. The latest award comes through the eighth round.
Crittenton Center has served Iowa since 1895. Its broader services include child care, preschool, family resource centers, emergency shelter, foster-care programming, and homelessness outreach.
