The Family Care Community Partnership Puts Families at the Center
Child Abuse Prevention Month is observed in the month of April, when communities and organizations come together to take action to support families, children, and communities. Pinwheels are the symbol for this awareness month.
Have You Seen Our Billboard?
Parenting is Hard
FCCP meets parents where they are—building relationships that create trust, collaboration, and real progress. Many families face barriers and challenges, but through strong connections, the FCCP team gains a deeper understanding of the family’s circumstances and how to support each member in reaching their goals. Krystal Stevens, Family Service Coordinator, says, “We like to outline that we’ve been in their shoes. We get it, it’s tough and can be overcome.”
The team is committed to preventing childhood abuse and neglect before it happens, and to do so, staff get to the root cause of the challenges or barriers parents are facing and map out a plan. Claudia Dragan, Family Support Worker, shared that one barrier families face is change, “Change is scary for everybody.” Krystal adds, “Meeting parents where they are helps dismantle those barriers. Say they don’t have a place to live? We’ll meet them in the community. Say their child doesn’t do well sitting in an office for 20 minutes. We’ll go to the park. Say they’re sick—we’ll meet virtually. We always try to accommodate their needs and address barriers that could stop a family from getting services.”
Amanda Coderre, Housing Support Coordinator, shares that other factors can be in play. “I think generational trauma comes into play. A lot of times families don’t realize that kids with behavioral needs can benefit from structure. But when families are in constant fight-or-flight, it’s hard for them to realize like, ‘Hey let me step back’. That one small change can be a big change for them.” The ability to show up, build those connections, and see families show up for themselves is a game changer—and it leads to an improved quality of life.
Gaining Confidence
Seeing how parents show up for themselves not only strengthens their parenting but has a meaningful impact on their children. It’s about learning and recognizing parents’ own strengths and skills—whether that means building them, refining them, or learning something new. Culture is another factor and plays a significant role in how someone is raised. Staff acknowledge, respect, and show compassion that every parent deserves when navigating challenging times.
A Whole New Home
Amanda, Krystal, and Claudia all shared a time when they met with a single mom to help her clean her home to prevent eviction.
Her home was not in safe condition for her child to live in, so the three of them went out to help her change that. They all went room by room, showing and explaining how to best clean areas, create routines, and rearrange furniture—making it a whole new home. The mother was so proud she took pictures, and video chatted with her friends.
Amanda shares, “I hadn’t seen her in a couple weeks. I went out to visit, and she kept up with it. Which is a huge change for her. Because it gets overwhelming to the point where she can’t do it. It was so rewarding to see.” Krystal adds reminiscing of another visit, and this time with the client’s son present, “He came into the home and was pointing to the floor and he was just so shocked.”
Accomplishments Are Rewards
Support that FCCP offers promotes a sense of self-agency, empowering parents to move forward with confidence and independence. “The main goal is to build self-efficiency,” Claudia says. And in that moment when a parent realizes what they can accomplish, they look forward to doing it again.
“It is key to outline what a positive future could look like because sometimes these families don’t see that, and don’t have hope that there’s going to be a light at the end of the road.” —Krystal
This month serves as a reminder that there are tough times that many parents face, and there can be a lot of hesitation in asking for help. If you are a parent reading this, just know that asking for help or seeking resources is one of the best first steps you can take. Knowing when to ask for support means you’ve done the honest thing—which is to say, “Parenting is hard.” And parenting means building a system of support around you, not going it alone.
To learn more about FCCP visit the page here: Family Care Community Partnership | Community Care Alliance