April, 2024

Family Resource Centers---Connections Matter Since 2023, Children Trust Michigan has supported eleven Family Resource Centers (FRCs) across Michigan.? The impact of these prevention programs and services was almost immediate.? Below are two stories (of 19,654 children that were served in 2023) of families that came to an FRC in their community with individualized needs for their family and children. Because of their knowledge of their community and listening for the family?s needs, concrete supports were supplied and referrals for additional services were given.? These stories illustrate the impact FRCs have in preventing child abuse and neglect by supporting families and strengthening the protective factors needed to keep their child(ren) safe, happy, and healthy. ?Father and daughter joined us for play based programs to support the daughter's social development. While this girl already receives services through special education, the family has come to trust us as a source for information, clothing, diapers, and support.? ~ Keweenaw FRC ?A single mom with two children who have developmental disabilities has requested ongoing support. The FRC has provided household goods in the past as well as clothing for her children. In addition, the FRC Team connected her with MDHHS to ensure she was receiving all the benefits available to her through MDHHS and connected her with a scholarship opportunity to send one of her children to a three-year-old preschool program. To meet the family?s needs and ensure that mom was supported as well, the family also received home visits.? ~ Calhoun ISD/ FRC For more information about the prevention programming in your community, please send your question to our team at [email protected]. Suzanne Greenberg, Executive Director

Site visit at Voices for Children, Genesee County: Amy Tattrie Loepp, CTM Board Chair; Elizabeth Hertel, Director of MDHHS; Suzanne Greenberg, CTM Executive Director; Angela Dudley, Parent; Demetrius Starling, Senior Deputy Director, Children's Services Administration; Claudnyse D. Holloman, President and CEO, Voices for Children; Ms. Dudley; Heidi Coggins, CTM Prevention Program Manager; Tenesa Thompson, Director of Training and Family Services, Voices for Children.?

The Heart of Family Resource Centers

At the heart of the eleven FRC statewide network is the shared North Star, which was co-created with the members of our network. Michigan's Family Resource Centers are community-led, family-centered organizations that partner with caregivers to deliver supports and services that respond to each family's individual needs and values. FRCs are places where families can connect with one another and with resources they value. FRCs are committed to creating safe, nonjudgmental, welcoming environments where all families feel that they belong, feel a sense of ownership, and can see themselves reflected. The statewide network strives to make meaningful impact within their communities, and this is reinforced through the collection of the three data points below.?

Families served: Within quarter 1 for fiscal year 2024 the statewide network served 11,543 families.

Service Requests Met: In quarter 1 for fiscal year 2024 statewide the FRCs were able to record 8,975 service requests met.

Family Satisfaction: Within quarter 1 of fiscal year 2024 1,062 families completed a satisfaction survey and 1,052 families stated they were satisfied.

The Statewide FRC Network is very active and involved in their communities. Families and individuals can walk in at any time during open hours to see what events and resources these centers have. People may find support groups, parent cafes, diaper drives, parenting workshops, and so much more happening in their community. Check out your local Family Resource Center to see how you can get involved or what supports they can provide to you.?

For more information, please email CTM at [email protected].

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is a national effort to raise awareness about the causes and effects of child abuse and neglect. It is the goal that with education and awareness we can build strong families, strong kids, and strong communities. When we have strong communities helping to further strengthen families there is a partnership that can be forged to reduce the likelihood of a child suffering from abuse or neglect.

Each year in our efforts to raise awareness, Children Trust Michigan holds a rally at the Michigan State Capitol. This year we will be holding the Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Day Rally on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, from 10 AM to 11:15 AM on the steps and lawn of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. To kick off National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we invite you to Wear Blue on Friday, April 5th. Help us spread the word and post your picture on social media with the hashtag #MIWearsBlue.?To learn and share more about Child Abuse Prevention please follow us on FaceBook.

You may also notice that there are beautiful pinwheel gardens popping up around your community and this correlates with Prevent Child Abuse America?s (PCAA) Pinwheels for Prevention? campaign. What research showed is that people respond positively to pinwheels, which represent childlike whimsy and lightheartedness. PCAA?s and our vision is for a world where all children grow up happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed in supportive families and communities. To learn more, visit our national partner Prevent Child Abuse America at https://preventchildabuse.org/.

Request for Proposals is Open!

Children Trust Michigan has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to increase community-based efforts that help prevent child abuse and neglect for at-risk families. The deadline for submission is May 1 at 3:00 pm. For more information, please reference the MDHHS Press Release.?

Interested in applying? To access the application and complete entry and submission, a step-by-step instruction manual is available for your use. Visit the EGrAMS website at http://egrams-mi.com/mdhhs, and click the link ?About EGrAMS? on the left-side panel for complete information.?

CTM Announces Brand New Website! Beginning Monday, April 1, 2024, our website will have a whole new look and feel. It's user-friendly and full of important information that will keep our prevention partners connected and our supporters in the know. Log on to childrentrustmichigan.org to see what all the hype is about!

www.childrentrustmichigan.org| c[email protected]
Grand Tower, Suite 1411 | PO Box 30037 | Lansing, MI 48933 | 517-241-0042