How do you launch a new organization? Wow…a question requiring a long answer and it is a very good thing that I don’t have to provide it! How do you bring together 2 long term partners to form one entity – united – toward a common mission?  Well, now, I can write about that.

It is no secret that National Safe Place and the Youth and Family Services Network (YFSN) are now one. I think we were always of a shared mind – we just operated with different EIN numbers.  There was so much agreement in terms of our commitment to youth; our dedication to partnering with youth and family service organizations; our belief that collaboration has longer term benefits that competition; and, well – the list goes on. There were also differences. National Safe Place had more than 30 years of experience in partnering with communities to expand and strengthen a safety net for youth. A national effort built on the concept of a simple sign with a critical message. Today, there are hundreds of communities, thousands of Safe Place sites and a shared belief that any youth in crisis must be able to seek out and receive immediate assistance or in other words – “Someplace to Go. Someone to Help”. YFSN had more than 30 years of experience creating a network of support, capacity building and benefits for organizations. As an association consisting of agencies working daily to provide critical needs and services to youth and families, YFSN developed an extensive history of capacity building, training, technical assistance, consultation and funding initiatives. YFSN also established a culture that lived the “Together We Can” motto of learning from each other and understanding that each and every organization within the membership has something valuable to share and in doing so, everyone wins.

Now a single entity, operating as National Safe Place Network (NSPN) – we believe we have found a way to bring the best of our efforts together and to benefit all of you who currently believe in us as well as all of you who we are inviting to join us in our journey.

We encourage you to review the new website (www.nspnetwork.org) and contact us with ideas, questions and other feedback that will continue to strengthen our network and make it a place you consider as home and that feels like a place you want to visit often. Welcome!