Family Resource Centers can look different from community to community. In many places, the “center” is wherever family programming, resources and connections are happening.
The First 5 Fox Valley Family Resource Center’s model is intentionally a little different.
We are creating a permanent, welcoming place that brings together space, programs, people and resources, because we believe the space itself can be part of the support.
For families who visit regularly, the Center can become a familiar place where children know they can play, parents know they can connect and families recognize the people and programs around them.
But families don’t have to know us for the space to feel like it’s for them.
From a welcoming entrance to comfortable places to sit, play and gather, the Center is intentionally designed to make it easier to walk through the door, settle in and feel invited to stay.
And once a family is here, support isn’t somewhere else. And when the support they need comes from somewhere else, there’s space for it to come to them.
That’s intentional, too.
Our Family Resource Center includes spaces where families can meet with a Family Navigator, connect privately with a community partner, participate in programming, ask questions or receive support. Instead of simply handing a family a phone number, website or list of places to try next, our model creates opportunities to bring people, programs and resources together around the family.
That matters every day. But it can take on an entirely different meaning when everyday life is disrupted.
Imagine the days following a tornado or another unexpected crisis. Child care may be interrupted. Routines may disappear. Children may be struggling with sudden change, while parents are trying to sort through information, resources and decisions.
In those moments, families need resources. But sometimes they also need somewhere to go.
For some, that may be a place they already know. For others, it may be a place they’re walking into for the first time. Either way, they can find a welcoming space where children can play and reconnect with routine, families can sit together and parents can connect with someone who can help determine what comes next.
Sometimes the answer will already be here through our programs, Family Navigators or onsite partners. Sometimes we’ll help make the connection to another community resource. And sometimes, because we’ve intentionally created spaces for partners to work alongside families, the support can come through our doors instead of requiring the family to walk through another one.
Our Family Resource Center won’t replace organizations that specialize in emergency response. It strengthens the network around families and creates another way for families to reach, and be reached by, the people and resources that can help.
That’s the intention behind our model: the space and the support work together.
A place that can become familiar.
A place designed to feel welcoming even when it isn’t familiar yet.
A place to play, connect, ask questions and find support.
A place where resources can meet families where they are.
A place for families to land, on ordinary days, and when life feels anything but ordinary.