|
The
Regional Family Resource Network is comprised of three counties in
southern West Virginia - Boone, Kanawha, and Putnam. The RFRN
is funded by grants received from the WV Department of Health
and Human Resources.
Initially,
Family Resource Networks grew out of The Governor’s Cabinet on
Children and Families, which was formed out of Senate Bill 1 (SB1)
in 1990 with the charge of developing family-centered structures
throughout the state.
Family Resource Networks are meant to
provide:
·
A planning body that assists to coordinate services and
minimize duplication of services.
·
A way to share information about resources in the
community.
·
An avenue to critically review the community’s needs and what
can be done to meet these needs and address service
gaps.
·
A body to collaborate with other agencies and citizens to
help improve services for recipients.
·
A way to bring recipients of services and providers together
to review what works and what doesn’t and look at changes in the
delivery system.
The
Regional Family Resource Network (RFRN) of Boone, Kanawha, and
Putnam Counties supports and promotes the collaboration of all
citizens in order to develop strategies for communities to
succeed. The RFRN
participates in a variety of activities aimed at maximizing a
community’s potential through assessing needs and problem solving,
without providing direct services.
All
persons, organizations and community groups are invited to become
members. There are no
dues or formal requirements, although active participation is
requested.
The
possibilities are endless when people come together, services are
combined, and communities collaborate.
The
RFRN reaches out to communities by:
|
·
Empowering
local communities to think and act creatively to solve
problems |
|
·
Holding
regular network meetings in each county to share information,
ideas, successes, and concerns
|
|
·
Planning
in a collaborative manner for quality services and their
delivery |
|
·
Coordinating
local efforts with common missions and goals |
|
·
Serving
as a neutral grant applicant for projects
|
|
·
Serving
as a clearinghouse for information about services, grants,
conferences and training opportunities
|
|
·
Conducting
community-based needs assessments, focus groups and other
research |
|
