Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
FFY 2011 Annual Progress and Services Report
381
Family Resource Centers are cited throughout “best practice” literature and websites
such as FRIENDS and childwelfare.gov as ideal locations for the delivery of family
centered and community based services. Within the Family Resource Center, the
following core services was provided: Parent Education Classes, Child
Development Activities, Resource and Referral Services, Drop in Availability, Peer-to-
Peer Support/Mentoring, Life Skills Advocacy Classes, Family Economics and
Self Sufficiency Resources, Youth Development opportunities and Community
Development Activities, ESL classes and Family Literacy programs. The population
served were parents at risk of losing custody of their children due to inadequate
parenting skills, domestic violence and /or substance abuse issues. Other families
included those who are experiencing social network isolation due to lack of
knowledge of community norms, resources, services and interpersonal relationships
with supportive persons which may be due to cultural or linguistic barriers. Non-custodial
fathers wanting to learn ways of playing an active part in the lives of their
children and parents in need of support services, linkages, referrals and resources to
enable them to improve their economical status, thus the quality of their family life.
The program annually serves over 100 children, youth and families annually.
7) Statewide
The Parents Care + Share program is a statewide program centered in each of
Children’s Home + Aid’s five regions: Northern, Northwest Suburban,
Metropolitan, Mid-Central, and Southern. Program regional coordinators are
located in Rockford, Palatine, Chicago, Bloomington and Granite City and provide
services to those communities and well beyond. Besides establishing and
maintaining community based support groups, community child abuse prevention
programs are also conducted every April, which is Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Overall, the Parents Care + Share program projects service to 2200 unduplicated
individuals statewide (1300 adults and 900 children). The Parents Care + Share
program has regional linkages with DCFS and offers itself as a resource to DCFS
clients statewide. The program has instituted a new data gathering form to identify
DCFS clients active within the program. In FY11, the Parents Care + Share
program will continue to pursue development of Parents Care + Share groups at
Strengthening Families Initiative sites. The Parents Care + Share model couples
well with the Strengthening Families Initiative—a prevention initiative focusing on
relationship building between practitioners and parents in order to identify parenting
problems and provide resources before abuse or neglect occur. By establishing and
or maintaining three Parents Care + Share support groups, the Parents Care + Share
program will enhance the Strengthening Families Initiative in these locations.
These sites serve as examples for expanded partnerships between Parents Care +
Share and Strengthening Families sites.
8) Central Region:
Jacksonville, Quincy, Beardstown, Pittsfield and Green County:
Hobby Horse House of Jacksonville:
Services provided by Hobby Horse House include several different DCFS regions
working in cooperation with the LAN 16 region. Currently programs are offered in
