Oakdale group FREE to begin helping children get the support they need

Chief program officer of FREE Nicole Wolf says after the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted the crisis many children are facing, the need to help has never been more important.

News 12 Staff

Feb 22, 2023, 3:27 AM

Updated 565 days ago

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An Oakdale organization that already helps thousands of adults is now helping children.
Family Residences and Essential Enterprises (FREE), a group that meets the needs of those with mental health illnesses and other challenges, is allowing children to get the support that they need at home.
Chief program officer Nicole Wolf says after the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted the crisis many children are facing, the need to help has never been more important.
"There's just so much on how you look, you know, what sport you play, how successful you are academically, and our children don't know how to cope," Wolf says.
She hopes the welcoming environment FREE provides will create a path for parents and children with societal pressures while also educating people.
Wolf says she wants the programs their organization provides will exist in schools.
"One of our priorities is to try to start engaging school districts so that we can have our outpatient program within a school district," Wolf says.
FREE says it expects a large influx in appointments once their new program is up and running.