The Center for Great Expectations

The Center for Great Expectations (CGE) began in 1998 in a two-bedroom house, with a single bathroom, donated by Immaculate Conception parish in Somerville, New Jersey. For ten years, we remained in this location, meeting the needs of 12 expectant mothers on an annual basis and growing our understanding of how best to provide dignified and compassionate services to this vulnerable population.

During the early years, it quickly became clear that the need for safe housing with supportive services was greater than our space could accommodate and required a more comprehensive treatment approach than we were able to provide in Somerville. Thus, in 2008, we raised $4.2 million and built two residential facilities in Somerset—one for adults and their children needing long-term treatment for substance use and mental health disorders, the other, the state’s only residential program serving adolescents with mental health disorders, who are pregnant or parenting.

As our understanding of how best to meet the needs of the individuals and families we served evolved, so, too, did our mission and our continuum of care. From 2008 to 2018, CGE experienced exponential growth, including the development of Katy’s Place, our on-site Child Development Center; Roots to Recovery, the outpatient program, newly located in North Brunswick, providing compassionate care for substance use and co-occurring disorders and primary mental health issues; the Permanent Supportive Housing program, including 28-units for at-risk families throughout Somerset and Middlesex Counties; and START, providing free community-based telehealth and home visitation and doula support services for pregnant and postpartum persons in recovery.

CGE now serves over 1000 women, men, and children on an annual basis. Many of these individuals are homeless or economically marginalized, pregnant or parenting or living with mental health or substance use disorders. In our continued growth and development, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to provide dignified and comprehensive care in an effort to break the generational cycle of abuse, homelessness and substance use.