
Boone, North Carolina – The Children’s Council of Watauga County, Inc. has been named a North Carolina Family Resource Center (NC FRC) Network Member by Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina.
Launched in March 2023, the North Carolina Family Resource Center Network is a statewide chapter of the National Family Support Network that seeks to connect Family Resource Centers from across North Carolina to both increase investments and promote best practice in family support services through advocacy and collaboration. The NC FRC Network is committed to improving child and family wellbeing in communities across the state. To date, the network has engaged with more than 30 Family Resource Centers across North Carolina.
Members of the NC FRC Network support the vision that all North Carolina families have equitable access to strengths-based resources through a network of community-based FRCs and, as a result, communities are stronger, healthier and more nurturing environments where children and their families thrive. To achieve membership, an agency must be committed to the following activities:
- Engagement in an NC FRC Network Committee or Workgroup.
- Engage in training and certification in the nationally adopted Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support.
- Attend peer-to-peer meetings, and
- Participate in responsive Technical Assistance from Prevent Child Abuse NC experts
“The designation as a North Carolina Family Resource Center affirms our mission to build a strong foundation for children’s learning and development by strengthening families. A child’s healthy growth and development is deeply influenced by their family. We are proud to be a hub of support for families in our community,” says Elisha Childers, Executive Director of the Children’s Council.
The Children’s Council of Watauga County offers the following programs, services and resources to families in Watauga County:
- Evidence-based parenting education classes for parents of children aged 3-12
- Parent & caregiver support groups for postpartum women, parents of young children, and fathers/male caregivers
- Comprehensive home visiting programs with a focus on connections to community resources and enhancing knowledge of child development
- Diaper Bank supplying free diapers, pull-ups & wipes for any family in Watauga County
- Free resource library with developmentally appropriate play kits & toys
- Dolly Parton Imagination Library, sending children a free book in the mail each month
“I am passionate to witness how this new network will positively impact individuals, families, and communities. After managing an FRC in the Southside of High Point for several years, before joining the PCANC Team, I was so honored to witness the positive impact that an FRC can have on a community. Through this experience, the Southside Community also positively impacted my life forever. The NC FRC Network will help promote protective factors in FRC Staff, Community Members, and future generations!” said Andrea Clark, Prevention Networks Manager at Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina.
The National Family Support Network states that Family Resource Center Networks “serve as the backbone entity to leverage and coordinate the collective impact of their members. They create opportunities for service providers to meet formally and informally, exchange information, make connections, develop relationships, build capacity, and address challenges that no one organization could on its own.” Family Resource Centers have the opportunity to increase protective factors against child abuse and neglect and membership in the NC FRC Network is working to make this goal achievable.
For more information about The Children’s Council of Watauga, visit www.thechildrenscouncil.org. For more information about the NC FRC Network, visit www.preventchildabusenc.org/NCFRCNetwork.
The Children’s Council of Watauga County has been serving children and families in Watauga County since 1977. The mission is to build a strong foundation for children’s learning and development by strengthening families, the early childhood system, and the community. To learn more, visit www.thechildrenscouncil.org or visit us at 225 Birch Street, Suite 2 Boone, NC 28607.
Courtesy of The Children’s Council of Watauga County
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