FOLLOW US!
NFSN is entering an exciting new chapter. As we celebrate 15 years of advancing the Family Resource Center movement and complete our strategic planning process, we are refreshing our website to better reflect our future direction. Thank you for your patience as we prepare to launch our new site soon.
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.
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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.
Access our free on-demand recordings to learn, reflect, and stay connected to emerging ideas and effective practices across the field.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
June 24th, 2026, 2:30-3:45 pm ET
Launching the National Family Resource Center Model:
A Unified Framework for High-Quality, Community-Based Family Support
Info & registration here.
VIRTUAL TRAININGS
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).​​​​​​​​​​​
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July 14th & 15th, 2026
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For more information and to register by July 10th, click here.
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September 15th & 16th, 2026
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For more information and to register by September 11th, click here.
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​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!​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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July 21st, 2026
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For more information and to register by July 17th, click here.
September 22nd, 2026
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For more information and to register by September 18th, click here.
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. Learn more here. ​​​​​​​
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August 11th & 12th, 2026
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For more information and to register by August 4th, click here.
October 13th & 14th, 2026
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For more information and to register by October 6th, click here.
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​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. ​​​​
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Fall
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August 27th - 28th & 31st, September 1st - 3rd, 2026. Deadline to apply is July 30th.
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Winter
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December 4th & 7th - 11th, 2026. Deadline to apply is November 6th. ​​
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*Please note that Training of Trainer Institutes must have a minimum of five participants in order to be held. ​​​​​​​​​​​
Standards of Quality Re-Certification Training
This four hour re-certification training refreshes participants knowledge of the Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support. Participants who are actively implementing the Standards will deepen their understanding of implementation strategies to enhance their work with families. Individuals certified within the last two years are eligible to register. ​
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September 29th, 2026
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For more information and to register by September 25th, click here.
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December 2nd, 2026
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For more information and to register by November 27th, click here.
Events
HIGHLIGHTS
New Resource: Mobile Family Resource Centers Learning Brief
The NFSN has released a new National Learning Brief on Mobile Family Resource Centers (FRCs), highlighting key lessons, innovative models, and practical guidance for expanding family support.
Mobile FRCs bring trusted services directly into communities, including schools, libraries, and neighborhood spaces, helping reduce barriers, decrease stigma, and reach families who may not access traditional sites. Grounded in the Family Resource Center approach, these models extend prevention and early support into rural, tribal, agricultural, and culturally specific communities.
Drawing on insights from the 2025 Mobile FRC Learning Cohort and multi-state examples, the brief outlines strategies, partnerships, and sustainability pathways to support broader implementation.
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Growing Bipartisan Support for Family Resource Centers
Family Resource Centers (FRCs) have now been formally recognized in both the House and Senate Appropriations Committee reports within the FY26 appropriations language.
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Senate Report: The Committee recognizes that Family Resource Centers provide direct assistance to families through parenting support and education, navigation of care and social services, mental health counseling, early learning and afterschool activities, family financial planning, and job training. The Committee notes that preliminary data shows promise in this area, with a 63 percent reduction in child abuse cases and a $4.93 return for every tax dollar invested, according to current research. The Committee supports States that choose to use a portion of their SSBG funding to support services and programs at school and community-based Family Resource Centers to strengthen families through a localized, family-centered approach. (pg. 213)​
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House Report: Family Resource Centers.—The Committee recognizes that Family Resource Centers provide direct assistance to families through parenting support and education, navigation of care and social services, mental health counseling, early learning and afterschool activities, family financial planning, and job training. The Committee supports States’ investments in Family Resource Center services and programs at school and community-based Family Resource Centers to strengthen families through a localized, family-centered approach. The Committee encourages HHS to evaluate how States are utilizing Federal funds to support FRC activities and to measure the outcomes of such investments. (pg. 173)
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Historic Federal Recognition for Family Resource Centers
The NFSN helped author the first-ever federal definition of Family Resource Centers, included in the December 2024 Continuing Resolution signed into law. This landmark legislation expands flexible funding, strengthens kinship supports, and makes it easier for states and tribes to invest in FRCs as vital hubs for prevention and family strengthening.
Federal Definition (link, page 583) : A Family Resource Center is “a community or school-based hub of support services for families that (i) utilizes an approach that is multi-generational, strengths-based, and family-centered; (ii) reflects, and is responsive to, community needs and interests; (iii) provides support at no or low cost for participants; and (iv) builds communities of peer support for families, including kinship families, to develop social connections that reduce isolation and stress.”