FCCS Celebrates Stronger Families, Supportive Communities during National Family Week

Celebrating how families do better when they live in communities that are committed to helping them succeed, Franklin County Children Services recognized the annual National Family Week by honoring several families and community partners.

“Strong families are the first foundation to protecting children, and tonight we will hear powerful stories of how families have become stronger than ever,” offered FCCS Executive Director Chip Spinning, echoing the agency’s Call to Action of strengthening all families.

“We believe that any family in Franklin County - no matter the family’s size, income, neighborhood, background, and diversity - should have access to the supports and resources parents need so they avoid concerns that might force them into the child welfare system,” added Executive Director Spinning..

“That’s why we also celebrate tonight the organizations and community partners and volunteers who stand with us in this mission to relentlessly advocate for all families,” he added.

Through the Family-to-Family Program, FCCS engages local settlement houses to offer services to families who need support and direction. St. Stephen’s Community House, Gladden Community House, and Central Community House provide case management for families and engage organizations within their communities to offer everything from financial literacy courses to rental assistance, job placement, furniture, and more. 

National Family Week is an annual celebration observed during the week of Thanksgiving to celebrate the families who are doing better because they found support and caring in their own communities to help them succeed. 

During this year’s celebration, Tiffany Weathersby and LaQuan Harris were named Family of the Year by staff at St. Stephens Community House Far East. 

In his nomination, caseworker Derrick Womack wrote of the Weathersby-Harris family: “Two of this family’s characteristics that stand out to me are optimism and resilience.” 

He noted how they both had become a welcome fixture at Family-to-Family classes, happy to share their journey with others during parenting groups and other activities. 

Ms. Weatherby gushes about the St. Stephen’s staff and the support their family of five children received. “They’ve been a blessing to us.” 

“Not only have we gotten a lot of resources, but we’ve also learned how to do things differently. I see a difference in my kids, and Quan and I communicate better,” she added

The settlement houses also recognized Brandon Cornute, Tatyana Titenok, Makayla Sullivan, Cynthia Quinones, Jacob Blanton Sr., and their families. 

Community Partners of the Year were also celebrated, acknowledging the contributions of Help Me Grow Outreach Specialist Kimberly Bridges, Community Mediation Home Stability Specialist Marcus Salter, PNC Bank’s financial literacy courses, and Joseph’s Coat of Central Ohio. 

Joseph’s Coat Operations Manager Cheri Hoffman said: “There’s nothing better than knowing that you’ve done something for someone and made a difference in their life when they had nowhere else to turn.”

The volunteer-run, faith-based ministry offers clothing, furniture, and household goods to families free of charge. Gladden Community House staff often have families who are leaving homeless shelters and lack adequate clothing and other essentials. 

“Every week should be a celebration of family,” closed out Executive Director Spinning, “because when we come together as a community to help all of our families stay stronger for longer, then I know all of our children are safer and more protected.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First Forever Family Funfest Celebrates Power of Permanency

Image
Celebrating the nearly 300 children who found “forever homes” over the past year through adoption or finalization of a kinship placement, Franklin County Children Services hosted its first Forever Family Funfest. “When children can no longer safely remain in their parents’ custody, they deserve to have the permanent sense of belonging that comes with finding a family,” said Raquel Breckenridge, Family Service Director for Permanency. “And we want to celebrate those lasting connections.” Over the past year, more than 100 children and teenagers who were in the agency’s care found their forever homes through adoption. In addition, almost 200 children were permanently placed with family relatives - grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, or adult siblings - or close family friends such as teachers and coaches, church members, or neighbors. Dozens of those children and teens who found their forever homes through adoption or permanent kinship placement, along with their families and caregiv...
Read more

FCCS Volunteers Comfort, Care for Children during Crisis

Image
As a volunteer in Franklin County Children Services’ Crisis Center, Michalle DiGiovine fondly recalls dining on “pretend food” and playing “restaurant” with a promising culinary staff of five young children as they tried out recipes prepared on a plastic range.  “It felt good that they could come to me - a stranger - to pretend and laugh a little,” she said, remembering how she connected with the youngsters, all the under the age of 10, who had just endured an extremely traumatic experience at home. As January is National Mentoring Month, it’s a great time to recognize the Crisis Center volunteers who help protect children by allowing them to escape from tumultuous situations for a time and feel safe and cared for.  Mentors and volunteers play an important role at FCCS in surrounding children who come into the agency’s care with kindness and support, letting children know they are not alone. It’s part of the agency’s strategy to protect the “whole” child - mind, body, and hear...
Read more

Creating Forever Families, FCCS Caseworker Celebrates 500th Adoption

Image
Finding lifelong, lasting family connections for children is all in a day’s work for adoptions assessor Liska Hall, a 26-year veteran at Franklin County Children Services. And in March, this exceptional child welfare professional reached a remarkable milestone, facilitating her 500th adoption.  “I have loved being able to provide permanence for 500 kids,” she said.  “I love that I will be the last social worker that they will have and that they will go on and have typical lives without caseworkers involved. I love it when the family is so happy and excited about the adoption and that this child is now theirs, forever!”   Going into the child welfare field made perfect sense to Ms. Hall, who was the first person in her family to attend college. She notes that she’s always been the kind of person who has looked out for others.  “I was a ‘social worker’ in high school,” she recalled. “I was the mom of the group, making sure everyone got home safely. None of my frie...
Read more