Summary

Services

Make A Difference

CHINS UP Youth and Family Services was incorporated as a private non-profit organization in Colorado Springs in 1974. In 2004 it became a division of the Griffith Centers for Children.

CHINS UP (an acronym for CHildren In Need of SUPervision) originally served child welfare needs through emergency shelter services to adolescents and foster care. Since 1974, CHINS UP has expanded its array of services to include programs for children in the juvenile justice system and their families, alternative education programs and child abuse prevention programs.

With few exceptions, children, adolescents and families are referred to CHINS UP as a result of abuse, neglect, severe parent-child conflict and juvenile delinquency. The primary focus of our services is to maintain the safety of the child, the integrity of the family and the safety of the community.

CHINS UP creates opportunities for troubled children and their families to heal and grow.

To be the leading agency in the Pikes Peak region where children and families learn skills to lead quality lives. In living quality family lives we experience happiness, wholeness and the continued strength of our community.

CHINS UP achieves its mission through the efficient and effective administration of our programs. Our annual budget of $3.2 million is generated through service contracts with the Department of Human Services, the Division of Youth Corrections and the Colorado State Department of Education. Additional funds are raised from individual contributions, foundations, state and federal grants, special events and the Pikes Peak United Way.

• CHINS UP is committed to serving, protecting, and advocating for children and families.
• CHINS UP encourages and highly values creativity, innovation, and quality performance.
• CHINS UP is committed to active participation in the betterment of our community.
• CHINS UP believes in intervention in a safe, humane and confidential environment.
• CHINS UP believes in promoting personal growth and social development through quality education, cultural enrichment and recreational activities.
• CHINS UP highly values interagency collaboration.
• CHINS UP is committed to treatment with dignity, fairness, and respect being a right for all without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or economic status.