Welcome
MISSION
The mission of the National Family Support Network is to promote positive outcomes for all children, families, and communities by leveraging the collective impact of state networks and championing quality family support and strengthening practices and policies.
EVENTS
A Record-Breaking Success: Highlights from the 2024 Together for Families Conference
The recent Together for Families Conference was a resounding success, earning an impressive 4.73 out of 5 rating from participants. Participants praised the engaging sessions, diverse topics, and the strong sense of community that defined the event. With hundreds of participants from 8 countries, the conference stood out as a premier virtual gathering, with many declaring it the best they had ever attended. Inspiring plenary sessions and practical strategies provided valuable insights to support participants' work, while a record number of partners, sponsors, and exhibitors contributed to the conference’s vibrant and collaborative atmosphere. You won't want to miss the next one - see you in 2026!
WEBINAR WEDNESDAYS
The National Family Support Network’s free Webinar Wednesdays series raises awareness of Family Resource Centers, Family Resource Center Networks, and the nationally-adopted Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support. Click here to view the 2024 Webinar Wednesday calendar.
December 4, 2024 2:30- 3:45pmEST
From Under the Radar to All the Rage: FRCs & FRC Networks
What are Family Resource Centers (FRCs) and how are they networked across the country?
What does research show about the positive outcomes FRCs have achieved for children and families? Why are so many public and private funders at the state, city, county, and community levels choosing to invest in FRCs? For more information and to register, please click here.
VIRTUAL TRAININGS
Virtual Standards of Quality Certification Training
The Certification Training details how the nationally-adopted Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support can enhance your work with families. Whether you are program staff setting up a new program or strengthening an existing one, or a funder developing or monitoring programs, the Standards provide a blueprint for implementing best practice, with a particular emphasis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Learn more here.
December 11 & 12th, 2024
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For more information and to register by December 8th (U.S.) or December 9th (outside of the U.S.), click here.
For the full schedule of upcoming trainings, please click here.
Connect with Effect: Outreach Training
Outreach to and engagement of families is essential for any Family Support and Strengthening Program, as our Programs are only effective if they are well-utilized. This training will explore outreach and planning strategies to maximize a Program’s effectiveness with connecting with potential participants. The training is co-trained by both a NFSN Staff person and an experienced National Parent Leader who have successfully developed and implemented outreach plans. Amplify your Outreach, Strengthen your Impact!
December 9th, 2024
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For more information and to register by December 5th, click here.
Parent Voices Matter: Cultivating Resilient Parent Advisory Committees
What role does an active Parent Advisory Committee play in advancing family engagement and program success?
This updated, impactful training is designed for program managers and direct service staff who work with or aim to develop a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). Grounded in the nationally adopted Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support and the Principles of Family Support Practice, this training equips participants with proven strategies and tools to launch a new PAC or enhance an existing one. By incorporating three distinct PAC models from Georgia, Texas, and Wisconsin, the training ensures adaptability across diverse programs and communities. Co-led by two facilitators with extensive PAC experience—one of whom brings the lived perspective of a parent participant actively serving in Texas—this interactive training showcases the power of staff-parent partnerships and the transformative impact of shared leadership. Discover how this training can elevate parent participation and help your program thrive. Learn more here.
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2025 Dates Coming Soon!
For the full schedule of upcoming trainings, please click here.
Standards of Quality Training of Trainers Institutes
The Institutes are scheduled for 7 partial days in order to be accessible to all U.S. time zones.
NFSN Member Networks representatives can learn more, view requirements, and apply here.
Winter
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December 10-13, 16-18
Deadline to apply: closed
*Please note that Training of Trainer Institutes must have a minimum of five participants in order to be held.
HIGHLIGHTS
2024 National Forum Recording Link • 2024 Presentation Link
More than 550 people from 49 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, India, Ireland, Uganda, and the United Kingdom registered to participate in the 2024 National Family Support Network National Forum on September 26, 2024. Participant evaluations indicated that 100% rated the event as good to excellent, and 100% found it helpful in informing their work.
The Forum featured:
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School-based FRC virtual visit with North Hancock FRC at North Hancock Elementary in Lewisport, Kentucky.
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Community-based virtual visit with Liberation Center in Richmond, Virginia.
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An inspiring keynote from Clare Anderson of Chapin Hall, policy and federal funding updates from Casey Family Programs and the National FRC Coalition, Thriving Families, Safer Children updates from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and an overview of the Kentucky School-based Family Resource Center Return on Investment Study by OMNI Research Institute.
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A dynamic panel discussion with network leaders from Louisiana, New Jersey, and Wisconsin, sharing strategies for strengthening the FRC workforce through parent leadership engagement.
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Federal, state, and private foundation perspectives on the value of investing in Family Support and Strengthening Networks.
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The release of the 2024 NFSN Federal Funding for Family Resource Centers Briefing.
We deeply appreciate the engagement of our members and stakeholders, who helped make this event a success and are excited to continue building on the momentum generated by the 2024 National Forum. We look forward to seeing the ongoing positive impact of Family Resource Centers and Networks nationwide.
Standards Program-Level Implementation Successes
Is your Program doing great work implementing the Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support? If so, we'd love to hear about it! The NFSN is looking for Programs with success stories of Standards implementation to highlight for a national audience such as presenting at an upcoming Webinar Wednesday, being highlighted in NFSN communications, or featured on the NFSN website. Please complete this form to share your story.
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Family Resource Center Learning Hub Launches
The NFSN launched the Family Resource Center Learning Hub, a valuable new free resource developed in partnership with Families Canada by a diverse planning committee with the support of Casey Family Programs. The Hub is designed to provide tools and sample materials for those seeking to develop individual Family Resource Centers. The Hub is organized into the six phases of the newly-released Developing a New Family Resource Center Continuum. Each phase includes accompanying resources.
Case Studies Demonstrate Family Resource Centers Save Child Welfare System Millions
The OMNI Institute has released two new reports on cost savings FRCs yield for rural and urban child welfare systems by reducing families' involvement in them. The research was supported by Casey Family Programs.
The key findings are:
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In 2017, reductions in child maltreatment cases in Westminster FRC's Orange County community saved the child welfare system an estimated $1.82M; in 2016 this savings was estimated at $1.1M. For every $1 invested in Westminster FRC in 2016 and 2017, the Orange County child welfare system saved an estimated $3.65.
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After a formal partnership between Community Partnership FRC and Teller County child welfare was established, the county saved an estimated $2.5M associated with reductions in child welfare cases. For every $1 invested in Community Partnership FRC, the Teller County child welfare system saved an estimated $2.92
The recording and materials from the webinar that launched the reports can be found on the Webinar Wednesday page.
Kentucky's Family Resource Centers have been providing "Drive-by Cheer-ups" for families, complete with signs, bubbles, music, and dancing - all while practicing safe social distancing! These caravans of cheer have become a welcome sight for home-bound families across the state, distributing stress-relieving bubble wands to help "blow worries away."
Family Resource Centers & COVID-19: Here to Help
In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, when families are more challenged than ever, Family Resource Centers (FRCs) are uniquely positioned to be of support. Learn how their valuable work is being leveraged to respond to this crisis at the community level, state level, and Federal policy level.
