1000 Luke's Way 850-864-4242 • Email: Info@childrenincrisisfl.org

About CIC

Our Story:

In 2003, Children in Crisis, Inc., a non-profit 501 (c)(3) charity, was established to raise and manage the funds to build, staff, and operate The Children’s Neighborhood, a residential style foster care neighborhood. From a small grass-roots group of individuals, the number of supporters of our mission has grown to over 200 members, including CPAs, architects, attorneys, educators, builders, employees of DCF, and volunteers from the Guardian Ad Litem program.

In 2007, Susanna Wesley Emergency Shelter and Blessings House Family Foster Home opened their doors and their hearts to our first set of children in February 2008.


Blessings House-25

Emergency Sheter


Since then, we have served an average of over 100 children per year at The Children’s Neighborhood. We also built Aunt Bill’s Playground, the Charles D. Rigdon Pavilion, the Dugas Family Foundation Neighborhood Center and The Kid’s Clubhouse Recreation Center through generous grants and donations with local community partners.


Playground 2013-07-01 14.19.23 Kids club house


In 2010, we opened Sue Sue’s Cottage, a family foster home. Sue Sue’s Cottage serves up to 11 Children ages 6-17 and was funded by Dr. Doug Porter and Family and the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation. That same year, we opened Opportunity Home, which is a set of studio apartments for teenagers aging out of the foster system to prevent homelessness in this incredibly vulnerable population.


shelter out oppurtinty house

pavillion


In 2012, we were blessed with funding by Jim and Peggy Adams, Frank and Brenda Flautt and the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation to open our third Family Foster Home, “Ya Ya House.”  Ya Ya’s serves up to 12 children and provides a home for children ages 6-17.


Ya Ya with Chairman Ya Ya


In February of 2015, we celebrated our groundbreaking ceremony for the Travis Tringas Home.  Funding is being provided by Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation and The Travis Tringas Foundation.


Ty Pennington: September 2016

 The entire community was invited to witness yet another significant milestone in CIC’s development. The new facility provides a home to 12 foster children and is designed to keep sibling families of brothers and sisters together. Construction of the home was made possible through a donation from Ty’s family; Bill, Bobbi, Brian, Kim, Trent, Kyle, Laura, and Mark Pennington.


Founding Board member and long-time supporter of Children in Crisis, M/Gen Don Litke, USAF Ret. presented a check to CIC to fund construction of Kay’s Cupboard food pantry in memory of his wife Kay Litke.  Kay’s Cupboard is CIC’s first stop for groceries.  We are beyond blessed to have this wonderful building for food and clothes storage.  Thank you to the Litke Family for all you do to support our mission!



It is through the support of our great community that our dream, The Children’s Neighborhood, is being made possible. These family style homes keep sibling groups together that would otherwise be separated into different foster homes, but with your help, we’ve been able to prevent that trauma in many families. Your hard work and contributions are making a difference in the life of a child. Thank you!