Family Resource Centers
Family Resource Centers (FRCs) are community-based or school-based organizations that serve as welcoming hubs of services and opportunities designed to strengthen families. Their activities and programs are typically provided at no or low cost to participants. They reflect and are responsive to the specific needs, cultures and interests of the communities and populations served.
FRCs provide services and supports that strengthen families. The FRCs across Wisconsin are community focused, providing a unique combination of classes and services tailored to the needs within their community. FRCs provide parents and caregivers with parent education, tools, and strategies to support healthy child development as well as connection to and valuable information about community resources.
FRCs offer universal, primary prevention services to all families in their service area, using a strengths-based approach and grounding their practice in the five protective factors (concrete supports in time of need, social connections, social and emotional competence of children, parental resilience, knowledge of parenting and child development).
Examples of services FRCs provide include:
- Universal parenting supports
- Concrete supports and basic needs
- Evidence-based/evidence-informed programming
- Parent leadership activities
- Navigation to community supports
- Developmental screening & referral
FRCs also value partnerships to meet the wide and varied needs of the families they serve. They link families with community-based resources and serve as a referral source for families to more intensive or targeted services outside of those they offer.
Resources