|
Main Goals
The Family Institute supports families, particularly parents, in providing a home environment that fosters their children's ability to reach their full academic and personal potential.
With this goal in mind, the Family Institute addresses proactively on a case-by-case basis practical short-term and strategic long-term critical needs of our families:
- Applying a Family Profile tool through which we identify the Family's strengths and needs
- Thus enabling us to work on Capacity building upon the skills the family possess in order to prepare for future challenges,
- Also, providing a network of family support services and referrals to avoid or help solve crisis situations and to promote stability.
The vision of the Family Institute is to be a catalyst for strengthening families, to help them advocate for their needs and situations within the community at large, given the pivotal role they play in establishing a stable and thriving community.
The Family Institute envisions its role within CentroNía as the fulcrum of contacts, connections and interaction amongst all programs and all participants, children, youth, families, and our staff.
Brief examples
In its efforts to provide means for the mental, physical, and educational development of children, youth, parents and staff at CentroNía, there are several projects, programs, and services that are provided on a daily basis.
The Family Institute provides and coordinates delivery of supportive social services to build on family's strengths. In addition to counseling services, the Family Institute provides a wide array of referral services to organizations within the community to assist in overcoming obstacles, and to meet needs and goals. Referrals are made to appropriate resources for emergency food, housing (transitional, rental or purchase), energy bill assistance, legal services, Temporary Aid For Needy Families, drug and alcohol counseling, employment, and educational resources (Literacy, English As A Second Language, GED, employment training, college and professional development). Workshops on employability, interviewing, resume writing, the job market, educational opportunities, financial aid, opening a checking account, savings and investment, home buying, food and nutrition, parenting, child development and many others are scheduled regularly to help families and staff reach their goals and meet their needs.
The Family Institute coordinates child development screenings and health screenings for lead, dental, vision, and sickle cell disease. The visiting health professionals will make appropriate referrals with follow up from family support workers.
In partnership with the Parents Association, the Family Institute helps organize parents, direct them to skill development workshops and resources and help coordinate cultural and social events. The Parent Association, through the practice of leadership and advocacy skills shared by the Institute, will promote the parents' role in program creation and evaluation, as well as, in CentroNía's direction and governance.
|
