Yellowstone County's Trusted Childcare
& Family Resource Center
Where Healing Begins & Every Child Belongs
A Trauma-Informed Approach to Every Child's Care
Family Tree Nurturing Center provides trauma-informed, licensed childcare rooted in compassion — empowering Yellowstone County's children and families to heal, grow, and thrive together since 1986.
Every interaction at FTNC is guided by principles of safety, trust, empowerment, and connection — creating pathways toward resilience for children and families who have experienced adversity, neglect, or abuse.
Rooted in Yellowstone County
Billings' Vital Resource for Children & Families
Since 1986, Family Tree Nurturing Center has been the cornerstone of child abuse prevention and family support in Yellowstone County. What began as a small mentoring program — grandmothers mentoring young mothers — has grown into a comprehensive, community-driven resource center offering licensed childcare, parenting education, in-home advocacy, and supervised visitation.
Our childcare center is more than a safe place for children — it is an ecosystem of healing. Families facing adversity, trauma, or hardship find not only nurturing childcare but the wraparound support they need to break cycles and build lasting strength across generations.
To schedule a visit or learn more about enrollment, contact Josh Richards, Childcare Administrator, or call (406) 252-9799.
What We Offer
Our Childcare & Family Services
Every service at FTNC is designed with the whole family in mind — meeting children where they are and supporting the caregivers who love them through evidence-based, compassionate practice.
Infant Care
Warm, responsive, individualized care for your youngest ones. Our staff build secure attachment bonds that form the foundation of lifelong emotional health and resilience.
Toddler & Child Care
Play-based, trauma-sensitive environments where children explore, build friendships, and develop emotionally at their own pace — safely and joyfully.
Preschool Program
School-readiness woven through nurturing relationships. Children grow in literacy, creativity, and confidence within a healing-centered, developmentally rich classroom.
Respite Childcare
Short-term relief for parents and caregivers — one of the most powerful protective factors against family stress, burnout, and child abuse or neglect.
Neurodivergent Coaching
Specialized, affirming coaching for neurodivergent children and their caregivers — building on each child's unique strengths, communication style, and individual learning needs.
Parenting Classes
Evidence-based parenting education through the Nurturing Parenting Program — equipping caregivers with the tools, confidence, and community to build safe, stable, loving homes.
Our Environment
A Place Where Children Feel Safe to Grow
Every classroom, every corner, and every caregiver interaction at FTNC is intentionally designed around one principle: safety comes first. When children feel safe, they can learn, play, explore, and heal — at their own pace, in their own way.
Community Partnership
AWARE Partnered Services
Family Tree Nurturing Center is proud to partner with AWARE Inc. — Montana's statewide nonprofit delivering behavioral health and developmental disability services since 1976. Through this partnership, FTNC families gain expanded access to specialized clinical services, early childhood behavioral health support, and wraparound care that deepens our trauma-informed approach.
Behavioral Health Services
AWARE provides outpatient mental health therapy, psychiatric evaluations, and medication management for children and families — adding clinical depth to FTNC's nurturing environment.
Early Childhood & Head Start
AWARE's Early Head Start programs in Billings serve children ages 0–8, offering family-focused developmental support, behavioral health screening, and school readiness services.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
For children with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities, AWARE's ABA specialists deliver individualized, evidence-based support in the home, school, and community.
In-Home & Community Support
AWARE's home visiting and Family Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) teams extend care into the environments where children live and grow every day.
Psychiatric & Telehealth Access
Through AWARE's Billings hub, families access telepsychiatry and psychiatric services — bridging critical gaps for families who face barriers to in-person clinical care.
Case Management & Coordination
AWARE case managers connect children and families to educational services, healthcare, and community resources — so no family navigates the system alone.
AWARE Inc. serves all 56 Montana counties and has delivered community-based behavioral health and disability services since 1976. Together, FTNC and AWARE create a more complete continuum of care for Yellowstone County families.
Our Core Approach
Trauma-Informed Care at FTNC
Trauma-Informed Care is not a single intervention — it is a framework woven into everything we do. It means recognizing the widespread impact of trauma, integrating that knowledge into every policy and practice, and actively working to avoid re-traumatization.
Understanding Trauma & ACEs
Adverse Childhood Experiences have measurable, lasting effects on brain development and health. Every FTNC staff member is trained to recognize how ACEs shape a child's behavior, learning, and relationships.
Safety as the Foundation
Children who have experienced trauma need to feel physically and emotionally safe before they can learn or heal. Every space, routine, and relationship at FTNC communicates: You are safe here.
Trust & Consistency
Predictable caregivers and routines are healing for children whose early lives were marked by chaos or broken trust. We prioritize consistent staff relationships children can rely on every day.
Voice, Choice & Empowerment
Trauma often strips away a sense of control. We restore it — giving children age-appropriate choices and honoring their voices to build the self-efficacy that underpins lifelong resilience.
Cultural & Identity Humility
Trauma is experienced through the lens of culture and identity. We approach every family with humility — honoring their values and delivering care that is culturally responsive and affirming.
Avoiding Re-Traumatization
Well-intentioned systems can inadvertently re-traumatize. FTNC actively reviews its practices, language, and environments to ensure our care never compounds the very harm we exist to prevent.
Why Trauma-Informed Care Changes Everything
Children in trauma-informed environments demonstrate better emotional regulation, improved learning outcomes, and stronger social relationships. For Yellowstone County families facing adversity, this approach is not optional — it is essential. At FTNC, TIC is the lens through which every interaction, curriculum decision, and family relationship is built.
Our Promise
Building Resilient Children, One Day at a Time
Resilience is not something children are born with — it is built through consistent, caring relationships and environments where they are seen, valued, and supported. Every day at FTNC is a step toward a stronger foundation for life.
Who We Are
Committed to Yellowstone County's Children
"We strive to foster a community where all families have the support and resources they need to provide safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments."
Family Tree Nurturing Center's childcare center is more than a licensed facility — it is the beating heart of a community-wide effort to stop the hurt before it happens. By weaving together high-quality early childhood care with trauma-informed practice, family advocacy, and evidence-based parenting programs, FTNC gives Yellowstone County's most vulnerable children the safe, stable, and loving environment every child deserves.
Our Vision for Yellowstone County
Every family in our community has the support and resources they need to provide safe, stable, and nurturing relationships — because every child deserves the very best possible start in life, and abuse and neglect can be stopped before they begin.
Learn More About Enrollment
To schedule a visit or learn more about enrollment, contact Josh Richards, Childcare Administrator, or call (406) 252-9799.