Branch County's Multi-Purpose Collaborative Body
The Family Services Network is a community collaborative working to achieve optimum quality of life for all people in Branch County by supporting: economic sufficiency, healthy lifestyles, healthy family and social relationships and overall community well being.
Bringing Branch County people and organizations together to strengthen our community since 1989.
Strong Families Safe Children is Michigan's community-based and statewide collaborative initiative for the federal "Promoting Safe and Stable Families" legislation that provides funds to states for new and enhanced family preservation, family support, time-limited reunification, and adoption promotion and support services.
The primary federal program goals and intent of funds are Child Safety, Permanency and Improved Family Functioning to Strengthen Families. To achieve the primary program goals, SFSC funds must be used for new and enhanced services in the following four categories:
1.) Family
Preservation
2.) Family Support
3.) Time-Limited Family Reunification
4.) Adoption Promotion and Support Services
Michigan's legislative intent is focused primarily on the reduction of out of home placement numbers. This coincides with the federal intent of funds to keep children safe in their own homes, prevent the unnecessary separation of families, return children in care to their families sooner, and to find permanent alternatives for children who cannot return home safely.
There are two levels of evaluation. A statewide SFSC program evaluation is based on a predefined set of state "core outcomes." Local collaborative groups are required to report this core outcome data on a quarterly basis. The core outcomes for the statewide evaluation program are:
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Reductions in the number of out of home placements, repeat placements, and length of stay in placement. |
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Increase the number of adoption placements. |
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Increase community-based services to seniors and relative caregivers raising minor children. |
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Increase the number of childhood immunizations. |
Local collaborative groups are also required to submit an Annual Report to DHS each year indicating actual expenditures, numbers served and progress on local service outcomes.
In Branch County, the FSN is responsible for the allocation of SFSC funds. The FSN and local Department of Human Services have joint fiscal oversight of SFSC experiences.
Helpful Links
DHS-Strong Families/Safe Children