News from Franklin County Children Services

CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE TIPS ABOUT SETTING HEALHTY BOUNDARIES FROM ALL THAT'S DANELLA HICKS “I taught Sunday Schools for years, and what I realized was that my babies couldn’t read, they didn’t know what to do after they graduated, and they had lots of hurdles,” explains Danella Hicks.  This realization inspired her more than 15 years ago to start All THAT - Teens Hopeful About Tomorrow - a nonprofit dedicated to mentoring, encouraging, and supporting young people so they can succeed in school and in life.  Ms. Hicks knows all too well the odds stacked against her youth, noting that without this program, “our teens would probably end up either in the cemetery or jail.”  She mixes love and compassion with a dose of rules and expectations about commitment, attendance, and attitude, even insisting on a “no cell phone zone” when teens are engaged in programming. Teens are paid a bi-weekly stipend if they actively engage and show a positive attitude. Franklin County Children S...

Many seniors and older adults in Franklin County are stepping up to become primary caregivers for their grandchildren or other young relatives, caring for some of the 2.7 million children nationwide who are being raised by older family members. And with the passage of the 2024 Franklin County Children Services Levy, more of those kinship caregivers are receiving an extra helping hand to cover some of the unexpected costs of caring for the children they love. “When we support caregivers, we strengthen our community and ensure that both the young and old can thrive together,” said Chanda Wingo, Director of the Franklin County Office on Aging.   This year, FCCS is doubling the amount of funding provided to the Office on Aging’s Kinship Incentive Program, now up to $600,000 each year, which should assist as many as 300 children each year. “Children Services understood the needs and recognized that if support was not provided to kinship families, the children were at risk of placem...

Helping families rebuild, reconnect, and reunify is at the very heart of Franklin County Children Services’ core mission. “And visitation is a vital piece,” says Corey Leftridge, FCCS Family Services Supervisor.  “We help parents and children stay connected and build toward reunification, keeping that family bond despite the distance, despite the trauma, despite the crises they may be in.” FCCS’s Family Visitation team helps facilitate approximately 7,000 safe family visits annually. For many children in out-of-home placement, these visits are essential in building a safe, stable foundation for family reconnection and eventually reunification.  Every day, every visit, the Visitation team is there to help make this critically important work happen. For Mr. Leftridge, it’s all about maintaining that vital family connection and getting kids back home again whenever safely possible. “We try to encourage the families to do things that help them reignite their bond.” There are three...