The California Family Resource Association (CFRA) today announced a partnership with the California Department of Social Services’ Office of Child Abuse Prevention to distribute $3 million to Family Resource Centers throughout the state in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. As part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s investment of $42 million to protect foster youth and families impacted by COVID-19, these emergency relief funds will be distributed through CFRA, a member-based association of The Child Abuse Prevention Center. The funding will go directly to communities with Family Resource Centers, which support families in need of assistance and will operate through June 30, 2020.
“Family Resource Centers up and down The Golden State play a critical role in preventing child abuse and neglect, strengthening children and families and connecting families to an array of county support systems of care,” said Sheila Boxley, president and CEO of The Child Abuse Prevention Center. “We are honored to be a part of the solution in helping families receive much-needed relief to take care of their families and ensure that children here in California have the necessities of life they need to thrive.”
Family Resource Centers are nonprofit organizations that build families’ skills, knowledge and resources so they can become better parents, neighbors and citizens. The Centers also assist in reducing the risk of negative outcomes like child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, family violence and economic insecurity. Family Resource Centers are located in multiple communities throughout California and have become hubs for families needing a wide array of resources for many years.
Funding will be distributed to Family Resource Centers through the CFRA network. These emergency relief funds will provide direct support and services to families in need, including:
- Material items such as food, diapers, cleaning supplies, etc.;
- Assistance with isolation needs that include one-time costs for telehealth and remote case management technologies, staff time to provide phone or virtual home visits, connections through social media, and similar needs;
- Parenting resources (e.g., adaptations of parent education);
- Staff time to help link families to other state and federal support and benefits such as food, housing, etc.
Emergency relief funding will address family needs and maintain continuity of services and operations during the COVID-19 crisis for Family Resource Centers. These Centers had already been suffering from a gap in prevention services and supports for families before COVID-19 and this gap has been greatly exacerbated by the worldwide pandemic. These funds are intended to fill that gap and address the added stressors and dangers to children and families under the current conditions of isolation, health risks and economic loss.
“We know there are many families in California struggling with the stressors that have come along with the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds will be a great support to families as we ensure Family Resource Centers receive critical funding that can be transferred to those most in need, and provide the nurture and care to help them successfully walk through this crisis,” said Angela Ponivas, chief of the Office of Child Abuse Prevention.
CFRA will not only distribute the emergency relief funds but will also create an application process and metrics to ensure funds are utilized for their specific purpose and appropriated to benefit as many families as possible.
“CFRA will collaborate with its network of more than 300 Family Resource Centers in 50 counties to provide families in need with critical resources that will keep kids safe, and strengthen families during this time,” added Boxley.
ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA FAMILY RESOURCE ASSOCIATION
Founded in 2005, the California Family Resource Association (CFRA) is a statewide membership association of more than 300 organizations that serve children and families. CFRA advocates for the programs, policies, and resources that help families and communities thrive and succeed. CFRA also builds the capacity of its member organizations to impact policy change, partner with local government and community allies and achieve sustainability. For more information, visit thecapcenter.org/who/agencies/california-family-resource-association.
ABOUT THE CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION CENTER
The Child Abuse Prevention Center is a statewide training, education, research and resource center dedicated to strengthening children, families and communities. For more than 40 years, The Center has successfully implemented its mission of preventing child abuse and neglect by training home visitors, and family resource instructors that support and strengthen more than 2,500 families each year. The Child Abuse Prevention Center has seen a 96% reduction in child abuse cases among the families they have served, a 92% increase in school readiness for children served and has seen 89% of foster youth served graduate high school or complete its equivalency. For more information about the services provided by The Child Abuse Prevention Center, visit thecapcenter.org.
Get Citizensjournal.us Headlines free SUBSCRIPTION. Keep us publishing – DONATE
