Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Mount Saint Vincent has cared for children and their families since 1883. In the spirit of the Sisters (who also founded Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver), the mission of Mount Saint Vincent is to “strengthen the abilities of families and children to emotionally and socially participate in the community, making life better for generations to come.”
The Get Grounded Foundation was honored to support this wonderful organization through a $4,800 grant in 2016. With the grant, Mount Saint Vincent was able to provide respite support to 39 foster families caring for nearly 50 foster children. All foster children have experienced some level of trauma and with that comes behaviors and symptoms that can be challenging for foster families. Using the funds, foster families were able to receive respite services in order to reduce stress, avoid burnout and practice self-care. The funds were also used to offer childcare services while foster families attended support groups, and received additional foster-care training.
Not only did the program have a positive effect on the foster families, but the children benefited immensely. In fact, 12 foster children were adopted by Mount Saint Vincent foster families and many were reunited with their biological families. Several children safely transitioned to other child placement agency foster homes.
The need for foster care families is critical: More than 3,400 children in Colorado are currently in foster care, and there are always more families needed to keep up with the demand. Each day, Mount Saint Vincent receives numerous referrals for children of all ages needing a place to stay. If you’d like more information on becoming a foster care family please visit http://fostercare.msvhome.org/, or if you are interested in supporting them through volunteering or in-kind donations please visit https://www.msvhome.org/how-you-can-help/.
