As part of the statewide project, Know and Grow Oklahoma: Building Resilient Children, Families & Communities, the Potts Family Foundation will soon award grants to communities across the state. The grants will be used to create sustainable Family Resource Centers, to support the expansion of the Oklahoma Family Support Network the Oklahoma State Department of Health started in 2022. The grants are for one year with two options to renew.
Family Resource Centers (FRC) are managed with a model that strengthens communities to help children and families become more resilient and rely on community representation and collaboration. They are known by many different names across the country, including Family Centers, Family Success Centers, Family Support Centers, Family Resource Hubs and Parent-Child Centers. They may be community, school or faith-based and they serve to strengthen families and create resiliency within family units and communities. This is achieved with activities and programs developed to reflect and be responsive to the specific needs, cultures and interests of the communities and populations served.
“It’s exciting to see the Family Resource Center component of this project start to come to fruition. It is clear for those of us working in the early childhood arena in Oklahoma that a portion of the ARPA funds needed to be earmarked for our youngest Oklahomans and their families. The project will harness the engagement of community members, civic leaders and resources across the state to focus on infants and toddlers who experienced the pandemic and now struggle with the issues we know were prevalent in Oklahoma communities prior to COVID-19. Additionally, PFF is proud to be extending this opportunity to our rural communities that are often left out of projects like this,” said AJ Griffin, EdD, CEO of Potts Family Foundation.
The Know and Grow Oklahoma Project Management Team is in the process of evaluating the proposals that were submitted in late March and anticipates awarding and announcing the grants soon.