Crossnore Communities for Children is a nonprofit organization that provides a continuum of child and family services throughout North Carolina. While it operates foster care, adoption, and therapy programs, one of its strongest areas is family preservation through its HOMEBUILDERS® and Family Foundations programs. The organization’s stated philosophy is that children should remain with or return to their families whenever it can be done safely.
What does Crossnore do?
Crossnore offers a wide range of services, including:
Intensive family preservation
In-home crisis intervention
Parenting education
Individual and family therapy
Trauma-informed counseling
Foster care and adoption services
Family reunification support
Behavioral health services
School-based mental health programs
Independent living support for older youth transitioning out of foster care
Rather than treating these as separate programs, Crossnore views them as part of a continuum of care, meaning families receive different levels of support depending on their needs.
The centerpiece of Crossnore’s prevention work is HOMEBUILDERS, an evidence-based intensive family preservation model.
Instead of removing a child from the home, practitioners work directly with parents to eliminate the safety concerns that put the child at risk.
Services include:
In-home crisis counseling
Parenting skill development
Budgeting assistance
Establishing routines and structure
School attendance support
Behavioral interventions
Mental health referrals
Substance use treatment referrals
Safety planning
24/7 availability during crises
Families typically meet with a practitioner 3–5 times per week for about 40 total hours over 4–6 weeks, making it far more intensive than traditional outpatient services
Families are generally eligible when:
A child is at immediate or imminent risk of being removed from the home.
The family is already involved with the child welfare system.
At least one parent or caregiver is willing to actively participate.
The family can commit to multiple weekly visits over a 4–6 week period.
A Department of Social Services (DSS) worker determines that keeping the child safely at home is the goal.
Referrals are typically made by DSS social workers rather than by families themselves.