Reception Center Offers Cooling Off Space for Families in Crisis

When tempers and trauma reach a crisis point - and parents feel they have nowhere else to turn - sometimes families need a moment to “cool off” and reset the conversation.

That’s when Franklin County Children Services relies on it’s partners at The Village Network’s Reception Center to provide a safe space where families can cool down, each person can be heard, and supports can be offered to help bring tensions down.

“I feel like we’re offering hope,” said Marlene Sheaffer, regional director at The Village Network (TVN). “A lot of these families are feeling hopeless. They’ve tried different things, and they feel like nothing else is going to work. But if they give us one last chance, things can change.”

For many years, FCCS has partnered with TVN to provide foster care, managed care, and respite services to families. In 2017, the partnership expanded to create a rapid response program aimed at youth ages 11 to 17 whose families were considering filing unruly or delinquent complaints with Juvenile Court. 

From July 2023 through 2024, 110 youth were admitted to the Reception Center.

Teenagers might be dropped off at the Reception Center by law enforcement who are unable to reach family members. Sometimes, these same parents are considering relinquishing their teen’s care to the agency out of desperation. 

“Our staff immediately work to engage the youth and the family to develop a safe plan for the child to return home, stay with a relative, or spend some time in a respite foster home,” said Jessica Agyekum, TVN clinical director. 

Each person is heard and family members work together to solve problems. “It’s important to validate their experiences, and it really helps when youth have a voice in developing solutions that are sustainable for both the children and parents,” she continued.

But the intervention doesn’t stop there. “We can provide ongoing mental health services for the family for six months,” Ms. Agyekum said. During that time, clinicians are “really working with the family to stabilize challenging behaviors.” 

Clinicians help by engaging family members as frequently as necessary to “identify barriers and really work on creating some stability,” said Ms. Agyekum. 

Aligned with our Call to Action on Strengthening All Families, the Reception Center proactively helps families work through their challenges and trauma, preventing teens and parents from penetrating deeper into the child welfare system and avoiding unnecessary custodial removals.

Six months post-entry into the program, 62% of youth had no further involvement with Children Services.

According to Ms. Sheaffer, TVN staff develop special bonds with families. “Our staff are in the trenches with these families, and you can tell they really appreciate the help they’ve been given.”

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