FRCs and Community Schools

Cell phones have become an integral part of our everyday life for banking, reading books, texting and video chatting, streaming movies, shopping, holding virtual meetings and more. The convenience of everything being located on our phone has made many aspects of our lives easier.

Is there a way to provide services and resources for families in a similar fashion?

Yes! Family Resource Centers (FRCs) are community-based organizations that strengthen and provide support to families and promote health and well-being, as a regular part of day-to-day life in a non-stigmatized manner. They can provide services like parent education, peer support, connection to resources, library services, employment assistance, legal advice, and more. Idaho Children’s Trust Fund is supporting three Family Resource Centers in Idaho.

Ignite Idaho Family Resource Center is located in McCall Idaho. They are growing a robust, cross sector network of community partnerships that serve the needs of families. Teen years can be hard for both parents and youth. Ignite Idaho FRC offers Active Parenting of teens classes to help strengthen relationships and navigate challenges that arise. They are newly trained in HOPE (Healthy Outcome from Positive Experiences), the Brain Architecture game, Strengthening Families, and Parents as Teachers. They are eliminating barriers and reducing stress by providing weekend resources to families, transforming service delivery to be strengths-based and trauma-informed while meeting the needs of families in their community in a destigmatized way.

United Way of Idaho Falls and Bonneville County has developed a Mobile Family Resource Center and leveraged their school partnerships to serve rural counties in Idaho. They have hosted several events such as Play it Safe and Everyday Strong, which provides a meal for families, STEM activities and books for kids. The Mobile FRC continues to broaden their reach into more rural areas of Idaho as well as increasing community partnerships and participation. At Rigby Middle School they had 150 people in attendance and featured parenting workshops and networking opportunities, demonstrating their commitment to fostering a sense of community and collaboration.

Family Advocates has a Family Strengthening Education Program (FSEP) that provides parenting education concurrently with youth development courses founded in the Protective Factors as well as concrete resources to families. Idaho Children’s Trust Fund is supporting the expansion of their FSEP to develop a Family Resiliency Center. They offer advanced resiliency courses and services in English and Spanish. They are working to develop a Parent Advisory Committee to capture parent voice in program planning and implementation.

Community schools are co-located family resource centers within public schools that provide services and support to meet the needs of their neighborhoods. Community schools develop partnerships with other community resources, organizations, businesses, and government entities and are open to everyone. They often are available beyond school hours, aiming to be safe and welcoming places where students and families can thrive.

Desert Sage Elementary is a Community School near my home who partnered with the Boise Bicycle Project, a local nonprofit, and the barber college to hold a back-to-school fair. Since biking is a main mode of transportation for kids to get to school, it was important to ensure that all kids’ bikes were tuned up and in good working order. This effort helps reduce unnecessary absences, but also promotes social connections because bikes provide kids a way to connect with friends outside of school. To promote safety, the bike shop provided helmets to all who needed one. Inside the school gym, students from the barber college provided haircuts to all students, helping them look their best for the first day of school with a fresh new do. Throughout the school there were different family activities, parenting education, community resource tables and information, and school supplies. There was a clothing exchange set up in the cafeteria. Tables were lined with both kids and adult clothing that the community donated and families could take what they needed. It was a great way to pay it forward and share clothes that kids have outgrown and build a sense of community and belonging.

Recently it was announced from the Federal Department of Education that Idaho will receive 46 million dollars to expand and strengthen the infrastructure of the Community Schools effort in Idaho. This will elevate the work to support families and strengthen community collaborations, especially in rural Idaho.

If you’ve seen one Family Resource Center or Community School, you’ve seen one Family Resource Center or Community School. They are customizable to meet the needs of the families and communities they serve and every FRC and Community School can look a little different.

They are a great example of implementing the building blocks of HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experience) which are Relationships, Environments, Social and Civic Engagement and Emotional Growth. Each FRC and Community School models healthy Relationships and fosters social connections. They are a safe and welcoming Environment for all people. They promote Social and Civic Engagement connecting families to their community and resources. There is opportunity for Emotional Growth through parent training and helping children coregulate their emotions.

Our work at the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund (ICTF) promotes the building blocks of HOPE and the five Protective Factors which are: parental resilience, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development, social and emotional competence of children, and concrete support in times of need. These Protective Factors and building blocks of HOPE promote optimal development so children, families, and communities thrive.

We proudly support Family Resource Centers and Community Schools and the work they do to strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect. To learn more about FRCs, Community Schools, PACEs and HOPE, or to become part of the prevention movement, contact the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund.