Thames River Community Service, Inc. was established in 1992 with the creation Thames River Family Program (TRFP), which was a response to the rising number of families headed by single women who were homeless and living in poverty.  Located in Norwich, CT and serving Southeastern CT, TRFP is a 24 hour staffed, transitional housing program with 24 apartments.  Advocates and other supportive staff work closely with families coming from shelters to assist them in becoming employed and/or more employable, helping them to gain financial literacy by learning to budget and improve their credit, to acquire tenancy skills and to overcome criminal histories.  There also is a great deal of effort to provide support and resources around the needs of their children by working collaboratively with other area social providers and the educational system as well as mental health and wellness facilities.  Staff works together with families to establish achievable goals in these areas so that they can leave TRFP for permanent housing, in most cases, in less than a year.  The families who live here at Thames River, the only Youth Transitional Housing program in Connecticut, are parenting youth who are 18 to 24 years old.