Family & Children’s Center launches new support group for teens who’ve experienced abuse
LA CROSSE, Wisc. (WIZM) – La Crosse area teenagers who have been subjected to abuse have a new support group.
The La Crosse Community Foundation awarded a $64,680 grant to the Family and Children’s Center to sponsor a Teen Support Group that will meet every week.
Megan Pierce of the Community Foundation hopes that the donation for the new program will help give more teens support from their peers.
“I am most excited for teens to know that they’re not alone,” Pierce told reporters Monday. “That there’s folks that have gone through similar experiences,” she said, noting that adults “also care about them.”
A Youth Risk Behavior survey done for La Crosse County in 2023 indicated that 10 percent of local high school students reported being forced into sexual activity, and 7 percent reported being raped.
Danielle Swedberg, a coordinator with the Family and Children’s Center, said there has been talk for years about organizing something like this new support group, “but we didn’t have anything that was specific to teens kind of supporting each other, so we were able to create this Teen Support Group.”
“So, we will have a therapist that’ll guide it, but we also have it structured in a way that there are activities and other things built into the curriculum that will allow the teens to support themselves,” Swedberg added.
The support group is open to young people ages 13 to 18, primarily who have had to deal with sexual abuse and related behaviors.
The above article originally appeared on WIZM on July 6, 2026.
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) – A new weekly support group for teen abuse survivors was launched Monday in the La Crosse area.
The Family and Children’s Center started the program with a $64,680 grant from the La Crosse Area Community Foundation. The group brings teens together in a safe environment to learn coping skills and build healthy relationships.
Program coordinator Danielle Swedberg said the group helps teens realize they aren’t alone.
“It’s not just knowing that other people have gone through abuse, but knowing that there are other people similar to you who have also experienced it has just been a really impactful thing that we’ve seen over the past and something that we were getting requests for and we didn’t have the ability to meet that request and so we wanted to find a way to create it,” Swedberg said.
The program is free for participants, and The Family and Children’s Center hopes to continue providing this service for many years to come.
The above story aired on WXOW on July 6, 2026.
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — Family & Children’s Center held the first session of its new Teen Support Group this afternoon, launching a program designed to support youth ages 13-18 who have experienced abuse.
The program fills a longstanding gap in local services by providing a safe, trauma-informed space where teens can connect with peers and build coping skills. It is funded by a grant from the La Crosse Area Community Foundation.
Mental health is a crucial component of overall well-being, according to Megan Pierce, Donor Services Director at the La Crosse Area Community Foundation.
“We’re honored to really recognize that mental health is part of our overall health and well-being,” Pierce said. “In order to have a thriving community now, today, and in the future, we have to invest in our mental health, and peer support groups are a way to do that.”
The Teen Support Group addresses a gap identified by local educators, therapists, parents, and youth advocates throughout the Coulee Region. The program is facilitated by trained professionals who specialize in trauma-informed care and provides a confidential space where participants can share experiences and build connections with peers.
The program is open to all youth ages 13-18 in the La Crosse area who have experienced abuse. For more information, contact Family & Children’s Center at 811 Monitor Street in La Crosse.
The above story aired on WKBT on July 6, 2026.
