FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
Suzanne Greenberg, Executive Director

Happy New Year! It's a wonderful time to look back at all that has been accomplished and look ahead at all the possibilities for 2024:

Looking Back to Celebrate:

1. Establishment of 11 Family Resource Centers as well as the Michigan Family Resource Center Network with our partners in Alcona, Calhoun, Genesee, Ingham, Keweenaw/Houghton/Baraga, Kent, Macomb, Saginaw, Tuscola, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties. (Family Resource Centers)
2. Restructuring of CTM?s funding and program distribution to strengthen/expand the capacity of the 72 primary prevention partners across Michigan. (Increased Funding)
3. Provision of critical training available for all of the prevention partners: Strengthening Families Protective Factors, Effective StoryTelling and Messaging MasterClass as well as regular training opportunities as requested by these partners. (Training and Education)

Looking Ahead to Possibilities

1. Expand training for facilitating community cafes as a best practice strategy for centering parent voice and gathering community-based needs.
2. Introduce newly designed Children Trust Michigan website at https://www.childrentrustmichigan.org.
3. Establish a resource development program to increase available funding for all 100+ prevention partners through increased fundraising, grant writing and donor development.

As you look at your 2023 and plan for 2024, take a moment to think about the time, talent and treasure you have to offer a local prevention program or Children Trust Michigan.? Your involvement in our mission will move us one step closer to preventing child abuse and neglect across every county in Michigan! Click here to find out how you can help.

Prevention is possible,

Suzanne Greenberg
Executive Director

FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS
Emily Adams, Family Resource Center Coordinator

Children Trust Michigan established a statewide Family Resource Centers (FRC) Network of 11 FRCs. The Michigan FRC Network meets monthly to connect, collaborate, and coordinate services. The network developed a definition for what an FRC looks like in Michigan, this is also the network?s ?north star.? Within the definition it is highlighted that, "FRCs are community-led, family-centered resource centers, a place where families can connect with one another and with resources they value. All while creating safe, nonjudgmental, welcoming environments for families."

Recent data collection has been invaluable as the statewide network continues to learn about the community needs across the state. Through these submissions the statewide network can see and review data of the number of families served, services request met, families connected to external services, and family satisfaction. Through their efforts inside service requests, educational resources was identified as a need within the community. One FRC shared their efforts within this service request:

???A child was displaying low self-esteem and resisting attending school. After testing, it was discovered that they were barely reading at a kindergarten level. Mom requested Homework Help from the FRC. Mom made sure that the child attended Homework Help weekly. A year later, the child's reading was retested and is at the third grade reading level goal. Their mood has greatly improved, and mom reported no more difficulty getting her to go to school in the morning.?

?Housing is another service request the FRC network work to support families. A FRC was able to share:

?"A single mother with six children had been living in her car. There was no history of domestic violence, so our area DV shelter was not willing to provide services. We called several shelters in our county, but we couldn't get assistance. Shelters were full or couldn't accommodate a family of that size. We were able to get food, hygiene products, and some clothing. A local church has paid for them to stay in a hotel temporarily as we try to find a permanent solution by working with her DHHS worker." ? ?

TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Jodi Mullett, Training and Education Manager

What an amazing year it has been! Here are a few training highlights:

• In July, CTM partnered with a national training?team form the Children's Trust Fund (CTF) Alliance?to host a virtual Strengthening?Families Training?of Trainers for 20 of our Prevention Partners from across the state. This 4-day interactive training provided a deep knowledge of the Strengthening Families? Protective Factors framework and provided participants with?the knowledge and skills to present and facilitate gatherings that build protective factors to strengthen families and reduce the likelihood?of child abuse and neglect. Children Trust Michigan is excited to strengthen our commitment to this research-informed, strengths-based approach that prevents child abuse?and neglect by focusing on the well-being of all families and helping families?identify and build on their own protective factors. If you are interested in hosting a Strengthening?Families presentation?or training in your community, please reach out to Jodi Mullett ([email protected]).

• During the last week in October, a small team of CTM staff had the opportunity to work with local planning teams to help facilitate community cafes in three communities throughout the state (Marquette, Clare, and Marshall). Each of the community cafes was co-designed by a small team that included both prevention and parent partners who helped?identify the location, the theme, and the questions that were posed. Each of the cafes was incredibly unique, centering community voices to help to elevate what matters to them. There were many meaningful and reflective conversations?that helped us learn and understand more about what makes our communities stronger for children and families. We look forward to working with these communities to continue the conversations, and plan to offer more community cafes in 2024.

HELP US WELCOME OUR NEWEST TEAM MEMBERS!

Lori Kroll?
Executive Assistant
[email protected]

Lori Kroll has joined the team as the? Executive Assistant to Suzanne? Greenberg, CTM's Executive Director. Lori will provide administrative and executive support to the Executive Director, Board of Directors and CTM staff. She comes to us with years of administrative?experience and volunteer management. She loves camping and hiking with her family and volunteers weekly with her church's kids' program.

?

Emily Adams
Family Resource Center Coordinator
[email protected]

Emily Adams is our new Family Resource Center Coordinator and will be providing technical and resource assistance to the Family Resource Center Network across the state of Michigan.? Emily has been on the front lines as a foster care case manager and also was a project and outreach coordinator for Healthy Families Kent County.? She is a Be Strong Families Parent Caf? Trainer and a Michigan ACE Community Champion.? Emily loves spending time with family and watching the Red Wings games.

CHILDREN TRUST MICHIGAN?STAFF AND?BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

APRIL?2024

April is Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month:?Strong Families, Strong Kids, Strong Communities.?

MAY 2024

The 22nd Annual Pam Posthumus Signature Auction is just 5 months away! Registration opening soon!