LEBANON, NH – Late in the night on Thursday, the Senate passed a $1.5 trillion spending package. On Friday, President Biden signed the spending bill into law. Families Flourish Northeast, a small NH nonprofit, was included in that bill.
Congresswoman Kuster and Senator Shaheen both included Families Flourish in their requests for congressional directed spending for community projects. As a result of their advocacy, Families Flourish will receive $500,000 to establish a residential treatment program for pregnant and parenting women experiencing substance use disorders in the Upper Valley.
Families Flourish will provide family-centered residential treatment center for pregnant and parenting women that welcomes them to stay with their children. The need for residential care for this population is not falling. In fact, prenatal substance exposure continues to rise during the pandemic, in the Upper Valley and statewide.
The funding comes at the right time for the organization. Families Flourish is actively exploring renovating an existing building for the treatment program. Board member, Tom Sullivan of Sullivan Construction in Bedford noted, “It is with great joy that the FFNE Project is receiving $500,000 in funding. This is a major step forward in our anticipated construction project. While we believe the location that we found is a great fit for the program, we are anticipating $3m in renovation costs. Our board has been working tirelessly to push our vision forward while dealing with the challenges of cost increases and supply chain issues.”
Currently, NH has only two residential programs which accommodate children in the southern part of the state, and Vermont has only one program. These programs have a limited number of beds and typically long waiting lists. “While we have quite a bit of work ahead of us, this funding brings us one step closer to operationalizing a residential treatment program for women who are desperate for an opportunity to get help, all while also trying to be a present and loving mom,” Courtney Tanner, Board Chair.
To learn more about FFNE’s initiative, please visit familiesflourishne.org or contact info@familiesflourishne.org.
