Child & Family Connections

Description

When 9-year-old Charlotte asked to meet other kids who have a parent with a mental health condition, it was a milestone in a journey that began a decade earlier with her father’s institutionalization, destitution, and near-death from his bipolar disorder.

Inspired by her request, they co-founded Child & Family Connections, Inc. (CFC), the nation’s first nonprofit that exclusively supports families living with parental mental illness by empowering them to handle adversity and build resiliency.

We are privileged to be a part of the process of helping families heal as Charlotte’s request continues to transform lives.

People We Serve

• We serve low-income families living with parental mental illness in the Philadelphia region.
• 100% of adults are parents (single, married couples, adoptive, foster, grandparents) diagnosed with a serious mental illness, many with co-occurring disorders, often legally disabled, ranging in age from 17 to 73.
• 60% of their children, ages birth to young adult, have mental health challenges of their own.
• 83% of families are African-American,
• 67% live below the federal poverty line, with a median annual income of $13,000.
• While all have some degree of English proficiency, 58% have not completed a high school level of education.