Center for Family Strengthening (CFS) and The LINK Family Resource Center now work closely together to provide enhanced community services and resources to improve life for overburdened families. This collaboration creates an integrated service system that is accessible and responsive to the needs of our SLO County Community. Both organizations utilize an evidence-based approach and programs that produce highly positive results.
Lisa Fraser serves as the Executive Director of both organizations, making this integration of enhanced services possible and highly cost effective. Administrative and financial responsibilities are combined to be more effective while reducing the overhead of both organizations. Each organization continues to operate with its Board of Directors providing continuity of purpose.
The LINK Family Resource Center is the first line of community-based response to children and their families in need as identified by our public schools. The LINK contracts with schools and the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education to provide trained Family Advocates. Through providing access to resources and helping navigate systems the Advocates ensure families get what they need to raise healthy, thriving children. Link Family Advocates understand the developmental needs of young people and the resources children need to succeed in school.
The LINK Family Advocates access Center for Family Strengthening’s broad base of support programs, Parent Connection, Kidz Toolbox for Personal Safety,Promotores Collaborative of San Luis Obispo County, Dental Care for Kids, and Postpartum Depression Support Services to connect families to these effective resources.
Staff from CFS and The LINK receive ongoing specialized training provided by Strategies 2.0, an initiative funded by the California Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP). OCAP selected Center for Family Strengthening to facilitate the Southern California Learning Community. The LINK Family Advocates, CFS staff and many family serving professionals benefit from the Learning Community network that shares best practices, develops leadership capacity and enhances collaborative approaches for creating healthy families and communities.
CFS and The Link share in the common core language of strengthening families and build protective factors that lead to family health and well-being. Both organizations practice a strengths-based approach, which reinforces parenting skills, increases knowledge of child development stages, and ultimately protects children from neglect and maltreatment behaviors.
