In 1993, the Tennessee General Assembly recognized the increasing number of children experiencing a combination of high risk environments as a result of poverty, families with substance abuse, domestic violence and dysfunctional families. In order to establish a network of prevention and early intervention programs, the General Assembly passed legislation granting local education agencies (LEAs) the authority to establish Family Resource Centers. Schools cannot solve all the problems alone, however schools are in a prime position to be the catalyst in networking effective prevention and intervention programs. The family resource centers work proactively to establish collaborative partnerships with parents, community and business leaders, state and local service agencies, public and private organizations.

The law granting authority to administer family resource centers mandates that each center be guided by an advisory council composed of no less than fifty percent parents from the community to be served, and that each center be directed by a full time director.

The family resource centers must follow the guidelines adopted by the Joint Select Committee on Children and Youth of the General Assembly. Those guidelines require that the family resource center play an instrumental role in prioritizing the greatest needs of the community. The goals of each center focus on solutions to the needs unique to the community served. Each center director must implement strategies to fulfill the adopted goals. In addition to the adoption of goals, the family resource center advisory councils are responsible for adopting annual budgets and monitoring the effectiveness of the programs.

There are one hundred four (104) family resource centers serving school communities in seventy-nine (79) school systems in sixty-five counties (65).

Each of the one hundred four communities is unique. The family resource center structure is formed by the community, for the community, through the guidance of the family resource center advisory council. The greatest needs, the target populations, and the available local resources vary from community to community. Therefore, each of the one hundred four centers varies in goals and implementation strategies.

The family resource centers do share a unified mission: to assist families through information and training, and to help families learn to resolve problems through the collaborative efforts of many disciplines within the community (educational, medical, psychological, business and social services).

As previously stated, the goals and implementation strategies vary from center to center. Likewise, the service area or catchment area of each center varies. In counties with sparse populations, the family resource center may serve all school communities within the county. In counties with increased densities, the family resource center sites are established to serve school communities in areas with high concentrations of "at-risk" families.

Specific geographic location of each center is dependent upon accessibility and space availability. The majority of the family resource centers are located within k- 12 grade school structures. Economy of function is realized through maximizing the use of the school facility. Communication between faculty and resource center staff is enhanced by such physical proximity. More importantly, the school is viewed as a stable, positive public institution. That perception increases community participation both in receiving assistance as well as volunteering to assist.

In other communities the family resource centers are located in adult education centers, in school system central offices, or subsidized housing developments.

Directors of Family Resource Centers are selected for their abilities to implement the goals of the family resource center in which they serve. The one hundred four directors vary in experience and professional training: some are former teachers, principals, social workers, teaching assistants, or nurses.

The family resource centers create close alliances with other state and federal programs in order to enhance all program areas. Many of the centers work in collaboration with Adult Basic Education, Even Start, Title I preschool programs, Safe and Drug Free Schools, Homeless Education programs, Head Start and Families First (Welfare Reform in Tennessee).

The operational activities of the family resource centers are extremely diverse in levels of complexity, coordination and sensitivity. The frequency of risk factors faced by many students and their families require a center structured to provide both: organized programs for life skills, parenting skills and job skills development; and individualized services to address acute problems.

The family resource centers work to maximize availability and to reduce duplication of existing services. Because the centers are working with families in a prevention/early intervention mode, problems and potential problems are accessed quickly. Therefore, the problems are more readily addressed by the appropriate agency. The increased networking and collaboration to address specific problems results from the collaborative networks established by the centers. Those networks include, but are not limited to, Department of Health, Department of Children's Services, Department of Human Services, UT Agricultural Extension Services, Community Mental Health Agencies, Family and Juvenile Courts, Families First Councils, Community Health Agencies, Tenn Care, churches, and public and private child/family service agencies.

Funding for the Family Resource Centers is provided through grants awarded to school systems that have successfully responded to Requests for Proposals. Grantees receive a grant of thirty-three thousand, three hundred ($33,300) dollars with a minimum local match of sixteen thousand seven hundred dollars ($16,700). Family Resource Centers must file an annual report detailing the goals, strategies implemented to meet those goals, the results of those strategies and a listing of the active Family Resource Center Advisory Council members.

The numbers of children and their families served by each center varies with the program components developed in response to the need driven goals. Therefore, those centers that have developed programs such as early childhood development programs requiring daily contact with the same target population will serve a smaller total number of clients, annually, than those centers that provide a more comprehensive continuum of short term programs and services. The number of clients served by any one center will range from approximately fifty (50) to nearly one thousand (1000).

Check back soon for further information regarding the services available at the one hundred four family resource centers.