St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho has secured a $75,000 grant to expand family support and child abuse prevention services across the region, with a particular emphasis on reaching rural communities throughout North Idaho’s Region 1.
The funding came through the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund Capacity Building Grant Program, distributed through the Tobacco Settlement/Millennium Fund. The award will support two key initiatives: the organization’s existing ICARE family support program and the development of a new Family Resource Center.
What the Grant Will Fund
The new Family Resource Center is designed to bring together several services under one expanded umbrella. Parenting education, case management, home visiting, and peer support are all slated to grow under the grant’s framework. The funding will also help strengthen connections to housing and employment resources for families in need.
Three specific parenting programs will see expanded reach: Circle of Security Parenting, Nurturing Skills for Families, and Nurturing Fathers — each targeting different dimensions of family stability and parent-child relationships. Parent and youth support groups will also be made available through the expanded initiative.
On the practical side, the grant will allow St. Vincent de Paul to provide tangible resources to struggling families, including diapers, school supplies, gas vouchers, developmental resources, and educational materials. The organization plans to hire a dedicated Family Case Manager and Home Visitor position to help carry out the expanded workload.
Katie Simmons, director of ICARE Family Support Services, emphasized the preventive nature of the work the grant enables. “Every family deserves the opportunity to thrive, and often the greatest difference comes from having support before challenges become crises,” she said.
Serving Underserved Rural Communities
One of the grant’s stated priorities is extending services into the more isolated corners of North Idaho, where access to family support resources has historically been limited. The ICARE program already serves hundreds of families each year across the region, and the new funding is expected to deepen both the breadth and quality of that outreach.
Rural outreach is set to expand throughout Idaho’s Region 1, which encompasses much of the state’s northern Panhandle. Forging stronger partnerships with schools, healthcare providers, behavioral health organizations, and local community agencies is also a central goal of the initiative.
Scott Ferguson, chief executive officer of St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho, framed the grant as a pivotal moment for the organization’s long-term mission. “This investment allows us to deepen our commitment to strengthening families and building resilient communities,” he said.
Child abuse prevention through proactive family strengthening — rather than reactive intervention — is the overarching philosophy behind both the ICARE program and the Family Resource Center model. Advocates in the child welfare space have consistently pointed to early-stage support as a more effective and cost-efficient approach than addressing family breakdown after it occurs.
What Comes Next
With the grant now in hand, St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho is expected to move forward on hiring the new case manager and home visitor role, developing the Family Resource Center infrastructure, and formalizing partnerships with regional schools, clinics, and behavioral health organizations. The expansion of Circle of Security Parenting, Nurturing Skills for Families, and Nurturing Fathers programs will broaden access to structured parenting support for families who may not have previously had nearby options.
For North Idaho families in communities like Priest River, Clark Fork, Hope, and the broader Bonner County area, the expanded services could mean more accessible support without the barrier of long drives to urban service centers. The organization has not announced a specific launch date for the new Family Resource Center, but the grant funding and hiring process are already underway following the July 26 award announcement.
Those interested in learning more about ICARE family support services or the upcoming Family Resource Center can contact St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho directly for program availability and eligibility information.