It has come to our attention that the Ice Breaker, a Great Falls tradition for many years, is being held on the very same day and area as our fundraiser, The Butterfly Ball. Because we want to encourage attendance at both events, we have decided to change our date. The Butterfly Ball will be held Saturday, April 1, 2023, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Newberry. We didn’t want anyone to struggle with parking and/or making the choice between the two activities.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. If you are not able to attend and would like a refund, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we will get you a refund.

I hope that everyone understands, and we hope to see you in 32 days!

Susie Zeak
Executive Director
Toby’s House Crisis Nursery

Join us on April 1, 2023, for an afternoon at the Newberry for a princess and prince-themed ball. The Butterfly Ball will be a magical time of dancing and make-believe.

Tickets are $15 for a child and $5 for an adult. An adult must accompany children.

Tickets are on sale now at this link: Buy Tickets Here!!

Toby’s House Crisis Nursery is hiring for our afternoon/evening shift. The job is perfect for a college or high school student, but anyone can apply. Duties include caring for the children, cooking light, and cleaning our nursery. You must be able to pass a background check, complete CPR/First Aid training, and fulfill training requirements. If you or someone you know might be interested, please come to Toby’s House to fill out an application or email us at [email protected].

We are excited to announce that Toby’s House has been selected as one of the Class Projects for the Leadership of Great Falls Class of 2022-2023.

They are passionate about the stable and quality care of children in our community. They have set a goal of raising $20,000.00 to donate toward purchasing a van to transport donations, supplies, and children as needed. For more information about fundraisers to help this project please visit: https://www.facebook.com/LeadershipGreatFalls

Being a mom can sometimes be lonely. So often, you feel isolated and alone, and you don’t know where to turn. We have heard this time and time again with the moms we help. As a mom, I could sympathize. I remember wanting a friend who was a mom just like me.

Several research studies have demonstrated that—for both mothers and fathers—high levels of emotional, informational, instrumental, or spiritual support are associated with positive parental mood; positive perceptions of and responsiveness to one’s children; parental satisfaction, well-being, and sense of competence; and lower levels of anger, anxiety, and depression. This could lead to safer children in our community!

Toby’s House is pleased to inform the community that we will have a Connections Mom’s Group. This will be an informal group of moms and children that will come together to support one another. This group will be held once a month at a different location. We will play, connect, EAT and take away some information from our community. I promise we will have fun! All moms and children are welcome!

Toby’s House Crisis Nursery is seeking responses to an RFP for our agency’s Strategic Planning process. The deadline for submission is September 16, 2022. Please read below for details.

For a print version, please email [email protected]

Request for Proposals Strategic Planning

Deadline for Submission: September 16, 2022, 5:00 p.m.

Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit proposals from facilitators experienced in strategic planning to lead Toby’s House Crisis Nursery Board of Directors and staff through a strategic planning process to formulate a three-year plan for the organization.

Organizational leaders seek a process that:

• Involves board members, staff, and stakeholders in identifying focal points for the strategic plan;
• Assesses and evaluates board, organizational and resource development;
• Identify organizational strengths and gaps
• Lead the board and staff in creating a board and organizational development plan;
• Engages board and staff members to set aspirational short and long-term visioning.
• Assist the board and director to determine the need for other resources, consulting services or job development needed to implement the strategic plan
• Assists the Executive Committee of the Board and the Executive Director in creating quarterly or more frequent action steps with measurable outcomes;
• Identifies board committees responsible for overseeing progress, and staff and volunteer positions (current and identified) responsible for implementing the plan;
• Prepares board and staff to assume responsibility for implementing and monitoring the progress of the strategic plan;
• Provides ongoing support/engagement for mentorship and further development/modifications for up to 1 year

Who we are

Toby’s House Crisis Nursery is a non-profit that provides safe and loving childcare for ages 0-6 to prevent child abuse and neglect. The nursery is available at no cost to all families, regardless of income.  It be used for a crisis, respite, appointments or work, and the nursery will help families find long-term childcare options and other resources when needed.  Toby’s House provides a supportive, nonjudgmental, and supportive environment for families.

Child abuse and neglect have long been identified in Cascade County as a core health issue for the community (Community Needs Assessment, 2019). Nine children under the age of six have died from child abuse and neglect in the last decade.

Numerous agencies collaborated to build a committee to prevent child abuse and neglect in Great Falls.  Toby’s House Crisis Nursery is dedicated to all children in our community, in memory of October Perez (Toby) and all the other innocent lives lost.

With the permission of October’s family, Toby’s House can provide the horrific details that led to her death. Toby was two years old, and her mother was attending classes and going to work, leaving October with her boyfriend.  On June 25, 2011, October died from blunt force trauma inflicted by her mother’s boyfriend. She had sustained multiple broken bones, extensive bruising, lacerations, and damage to her both her internal organs and her brain.  Medical authorities described her injuries as being similar to a severe vehicle accident and that her spine had been “torn apart.” It was also discovered that October had broken bones from the past that did not receive medical care. She suffered several hours with these injuries before being found and taken to the hospital. October spent two days in a Salt Lake City hospital, then was taken off life support after being declared brain dead.

Toby’s House wants to ensure we are available to our community to help keep children safe. We are seeking a strategic plan with our board of directors, executive director, and staff to make sure that we are moving ahead in a positive manner towards sustainability and expansion of services.

Our program currently consists of eight board members, an executive director, four staff and five volunteers.

Scope of Work

Toby’s House Crisis Nursery requests a proposal for a three-year plan with a 5-10 year vision that includes the following:

• process for identifying strengths and evaluating mission and vision statements and creating core values;
• process for developing aspirational strategic goals;
• timeline for creating the plan.

We expect complete facilitation of the process to be reflected in the proposal; a goal of the planning process is to create a system for the board and staff to work effectively together to create and carry out the strategic plan. The proposal will provide an executive summary of the work that will be performed by the consultant and a detailed work breakdown structure, with time frames, of the steps that will be taken to develop a strategic plan.

Expected outcomes of the process include:

• Coordination of the writing and editing of drafts and the final strategic plan document, including a separate, shorter document for external dissemination if necessary.
• Documentation of the strategic planning process, including key discussions and decisions at each stage, for development of strategy documents and communication

The deadline for completing the strategic plan will be November 18, 2022. Please create your timeline within this framework.

Application Process and Procedures

Please provide a complete written response to this RFP which is double-spaced and does not exceed 10 single-sided pages, excluding appendices. Proposals should include:

1. A brief Executive Summary;

2. A description of the applicant’s general approach to strategic planning facilitation, including methodology, perspective, or philosophy that guides your work with organizations in this undertaking;

3. A list of project deliverables to be created with a detailed timeline for each deliverable and overall project completion;

4. A detailed budget that breaks down expenses;

5. Credentials and qualifications of key personnel who will take responsibility for working directly on this project;

6. Three references each for key personnel who will work directly on this project;7. Example(s) of a finished strategic plan created by your company;

Questions and completed proposals may be directed to the executive director, Susie Zeak at [email protected]

See you at the Mighty Mo!

On Wednesday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m. come to show your support for your favorite baseball team and your favorite nonprofit. We will be selling 50/50 tickets, have an informational table, and FIREWORKS after the game!

Join Toby’s House Crisis Nursery and the Great Falls Voyagers for an evening filled with fun for the family. Toby’s House is the “nonprofit of the night” with $4 for every ticket sold online or in-person going back to Toby’s House. Your ticket must be purchased in person at 421 5th St. North or purchasing online HERE.

We can’t wait to see you there!