NORTH DAKOTA – The Village Family Service Center has announced that it will gradually discontinue its Adoption and Pregnancy Programs, as well as its Financial Resource Center. The organization plans to focus its resources on counseling to better address the growing behavioral health needs of the community.
Both programs have seen a steep decline in appointment requests. Since 2018, there has been a 70% decrease in adoption placements and a 57% decrease in clients served by the Financial Resource Center. In 2022, the two programs combined saw less than 3% of total clients served by The Village. Additionally, these programs have faced challenges such as increased competition from national for-profit entities and rising operating costs. The Village is actively working to connect with clients of these programs to ensure a smooth transition.
Changing Community Landscape
Over the course of several years, Village Leadership and the Board of Directors evaluated the sustainability of these programs. Unfortunately, with such a significant decline in clients served, no feasible solutions were found. The current workforce environment has made it increasingly difficult to hire and retain staff. Competition from national for-profit companies has made it nearly impossible to compete, making it difficult to reach potential clientele. Additionally, state-imposed fee limits have made it challenging to cover the rising costs of providing these services.
This is not the first time The Village Family Service Center has had to pivot its direction. The organization was established in 1891 as an orphanage and has adjusted its services to meet the changing needs of the community over time.
“We recognize the significance of this decision and the implications it holds for the families served by these programs, as well as the devoted staff,” said The Village’s President and CEO Kelly Olson. “By focusing on our core services, we aim to strengthen our impact in the behavioral health field and continue our legacy of providing valuable support to the communities we serve.”
The Village’s Board of Directors, which consists of community members, agreed the best course of action for the organization was to discontinue these programs and focus on more prevalent community needs such as mental health, employee assistance programs, and addiction counseling.
“By consolidating our resources, we can more effectively meet the increasing behavioral health needs in North Dakota and Minnesota,” stated Louise Dardis, The Village's Board of Directors Chairperson. “I would like to express my gratitude for the exceptional quality that these services provided throughout the years.”