Stephanie

Why Family Resource Centers Matter

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Children need stability in their lives at home in order to do their best at school. Research has shown that academic resources alone cannot compensate when children have unmet basic needs or their families are in crisis. Low-income students are more likely to experience family instability, with accompanying emotional, mental, and physical health barriers to learning. When a school district partners with its local Family Resource Center, they can tap into an array of resources and supports for students and their families, addressing the root of students’ struggles to facilitate lasting personal and academic growth. This chapter of “Student Supports: Getting the Most out of Your LCFF Investment” details how schools can partner with their local Family Resource Centers to support progress on the LCFF priorities.

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Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support

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The Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support were issued by the California Network of Family Strengthening Networks (CNFSN) in 2012, and adopted by the National Network of Family Support and Strengthening Networks in 2013. They are the first and only standards in the country to integrate and operationalize the Principles of Family Support Practice with the Strengthening Families Approach and its research-based evidence-informed 5 Protective Factors. The vision is that their implementation will help ensure that families are supported and strengthened through quality practice.

Standards are designed to be used by all stakeholders–public departments, foundations, community-based organizations, and parents–across different kinds of Family Strengthening and Family Support programs as a tool for planning, providing, and assessing quality practice. The Standards create common language and expectations in the Family Support and Strengthening field across different kinds of programs, such as Family Resource Centers, home visiting programs, and child development programs.

Training is a fundamental strategy for implementing the Standards effectively.

Certification Training: This full-day training is designed for all management and direct service staff, as well as for funders. Each individual who completes the training receives a certificate that is valid for 2 years. This training is provided by the CNFSN, member networks of the CNFSN, and member networks of the National Network of Family Support & Strengthening Networks.