FAQs

If I call the 24-hour Helpline can someone come out and meet with me?

Yes. Our Counselors are able to meet you in public spaces in the community, such as a library, school, coffee shop, emergency room, or police station.

What happens if I need a Crisis Counselor and it’s after business hours?

Kids In Crisis Counselors are available 24/7 every day of the year to speak on the phone and meet in person.  Call 203-661-1191 for help, any time.

My child has started to give us a hard time about going to school in the mornings. Sometimes she says something hurts, and sometimes she just cries and can’t tell us why. Is this something Kids In Crisis could help with? Would she have to stay in the shelter?

Kids In Crisis may well be able to help. If your daughter is safe at home she would not need our shelter care. But our Crisis Counselors might be able to help you and your daughter. They could meet with you to get an understanding of the situation, provide counseling, and refer you to local quality services if needed. Depending on where your daughter goes to school, we may have a TeenTalk Counselor there who could be a daily source of support. Please do not hesitate to call our Helpline. 203-661-1911

My teenage son used to be happy to be around the rest of the family. Now he doesn’t want to do things with us and stays out a lot. When he’s home he seems lethargic. I can smell cigarettes on his clothes but I’m worried he may be using drugs too. When I ask him what’s going on he tells me he’s fine and just wants to be left alone. I don’t know if this is a crisis but I don’t know what to do.

Call our Helpline. 203-661-1911 We are here, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, to help prevent kids from ever reaching crisis points or manage crises they are in. We will help you try to do that for your child.

Do kids have to be “problem” kids or “troubled” to stay at Kids In Crisis?

Kids In Crisis is here to serve any kids who are experiencing a crisis. This does not mean that a child is a “problem child” or a “troubled kid,” but rather a child who is in the midst of a family crisis or personal crisis. Kids In Crisis provides individualized care to each child, including, as appropriate and needed, working with the family.

What is an average day like for children staying in Kids In Crisis’ shelter?

The Kids in Crisis Shelter Program provides a safe, structured, home-like environment with comfortable bedrooms and common areas, nutritious meals and snacks, and professional, consistent, well-trained staff. An average weekday begins with wake-ups by staff, breakfast, rides to and from school and programs/extracurriculars/appointments, as appropriate. Once back at Kids In Crisis, kids have a snack, a little play time, and then homework time. Individual, group, and family counseling sessions may be held before or after a family-style dinner. Kids have therapeutic, recreational, or educational groups or activities in the evenings and on weekends. They do age-appropriate chores, and review their days with staff before bed.  Over the summer there’s a scheduled comprehensive therapeutic enrichment program that takes the place of school time. 

What is the counselor-to-resident ratio in Kids In Crisis’ shelter?

At minimum there is one counselor to every three children in residence.

How long can a child stay at Kids In Crisis’ shelter?

Kids in Crisis’ Shelter Program is intended to be for stays up to 21 days. Based on individual children’s and families’ needs, stays may be shorter or longer than 21 days.

Can adults stay with their children at the Kids In Crisis shelter?

No. Adults cannot stay with their children at Kids In Crisis, but they are expected to be involved with the Shelter Program and their children during their children’s stay. Only babies to 18-year-old kids can stay in the Shelter Program, including teen moms and their babies.

Can a parent visit her/his child staying at Kid In Crisis?

Parents are expected to visit and be involved with their children while they are staying at the Shelter Program, but not to drop in any time. Visits should be scheduled 24 hours in advance.

My client’s child is a “good” kid (not a “troubled” kid). My client just needs a break to figure things out. Will her child be okay with the other children staying at Kids In Crisis?

Kids In Crisis Shelter Program’s safe, structured, therapeutic living environment is designed to help meet all resident children’s needs. The safety of each resident is of utmost importance. Kids in Crisis’ comprehensive intake assessment process works to ensure that children can be safely and appropriately served.

Can kids refer themselves to Kids in Crisis shelter?

If a child feels unsafe and calls Kids In Crisis at 203-661-1911, an Outreach Counselor will go out to meet the child immediately. They will establish a plan that meets the child’s needs to ensure his/her safety. This may include entrance into Kids In Crisis shelter.

Will siblings be able to stay together at Kids in Crisis’ shelter?

As safe and appropriate for each child, Kids In Crisis keeps siblings together while in residence.  

Is Kids In Crisis’ shelter a group home?

No. It is a short-term safe haven and respite program for children who cannot remain at home safely.

What exactly is Kids In Crisis? Is it a homeless shelter, a shelter for abused children, a place for children in state care to reside? Is it open to anybody?  

Kids In Crisis is a nonprofit agency that provides 24/7 crisis prevention and intervention services for babies, children, and teens through its Crisis Helpline, In-Person Counseling, comprehensive Shelter Program, and School-based and Community-based programs and services.

Kids In Crisis’ Shelter Program is a safe haven and respite for babies, children, and teens who cannot remain safely at home. Children do not need to be in state care to use Kids In Crisis’ Shelter Program. Children experiencing all types of crisis and people concerned about them can access 24/7 help from Kids In Crisis by calling the Crisis Helpline (203-661-1911). Kids In Crisis’ Shelter Program includes an onsite Health Center, where all residents receive assessments and appropriate care and referrals for medical and psychological needs. Residents receive onsite individual, group, and family counseling, Educational Services, and Therapeutic Recreation.

Kids In Crisis also provides crisis prevention and intervention in dozens of schools and community sites throughout Southwestern Connecticut.

Will anyone know if my client uses services offered at Kids In Crisis? Are services confidential? Will the school that my client’s child attends find out?

All Kids In Crisis services are confidential. Staff obtain permission from parents to speak with individuals who are involved with their family. In order to effectively work with a family, it is important for Kids In Crisis to be able to communicate with appropriate individuals and agencies, which may include a child’s school.   

My client lives right across the state border in New York. Can this family use your services?

Kids In Crisis is licensed in Connecticut and primarily serves children in Southwestern Connecticut. Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis, depending on the availability of services. Kids In Crisis can assist the New York family in finding service providers in its community.

Do you offer services for adults?

The services provided by Kids In Crisis are for children, but adults involved with a child will receive services specific to meeting the needs of the child. For example, Kids In Crisis will assist parents with referrals and other help in accessing children’s treatment, housing support, food, clothing, etc.

Can Kids In Crisis provide a family with food stamps/ food/clothes/furniture?

Kids In Crisis cannot provide these, but can help families access them in their community.      

Is Kids In Crisis run by the State?

No. Kids in Crisis is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit agency. Its Shelter Program is licensed by the Connecticut Dept. of Children and Families.

How much does it cost to use Kids In Crisis services? Do you accept insurance?

All Kids In Crisis services are provided free of charge to children and their families.

What does Lighthouse provide? My 14-year-old daughter recently told us she is attracted to other girls. We want her to feel supported.

Lighthouse is a safe space for kids who identify, or may be questioning, if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or something other than their assigned gender. It is not a therapy group.  It’s a place for kids to feel safe to talk about themselves, learn from and support each other, listen to guest speakers, and share fun activities.

My sophomore son’s English teacher called me to say my son has been looking sad and distracted in class. This teacher knows our family, because my older son had her too. She knows we are very private. She suggested to me that my son go and talk to the TeenTalk Counselor at her school. How do we know that their conversations will remain confidential?

TeenTalk Counselors work for Kids In Crisis, not the school, and thus do not have to record issues of concern in students’ school records. Conversations between the student and TeenTalk Counselor are entirely confidential. Only in cases where the student appears to be in danger of harming himself or others would a TeenTalk Counselor reveal information to parents or others so that the student could receive appropriate care.