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By Debbie Cantiello
The Rogue Valley Education & Career Network is expanding. One new addition is Coalition for Kids, Inc. Coalition for Kids' Family Resource Center, located in Grants Pass, Oregon, serves families and children in Grants Pass and Josephine County. Its mission is "creating opportunities for children and families to flourish".
The purpose of the Family Resource Center is to provide low cost rent, a one-stop shopping center location and full-day child care, and to create, support and nurture effective partnerships that will enable effective, comprehensive services to meet the needs of children and families in Josephine County.
The partners currently housed at the Family Resource Center are:
Southern Oregon Head Start
Early Intervention
Women's Crisis Support Team
Adult and Family Services
Literacy Council
Josephine County Health Department (W.I.C. and Healthy Start)
Planned Parenthood (Community Education Department)
The Job Council of Southern Oregon
In addition, Coalition for Kids offers the following programs:
- Child Care
- Parent Education Classes
- Volunteer Coordination
- Parent Education Resource Line
- Jobs Plus Employment Site
History
In September of 1991, Coalition for Kids opened the Family Resource Center to serve families in Josephine County. In January of 1992, the site received a small amount of state funding.
Initially, the center served as a catalyst, convener and/or partner in the community. The first years also focused on establishing and physically upgrading the Family Resource Center. A large commercial kitchen was created utilizing community development block grant funding and donations from the local community.
Over the next three years, Coalition for Kids continued its initial activities and added program development and management. In 1994, it assumed the operation of the child care program in the Family Resource Center and initiated a variety of support groups and educational opportunities for parents.
Coalition for Kids is governed by a Board of Directors and is staffed with a full-time executive director, Debbie Cantiello, and operations manager, Kellie Stone. Coalition for Kids continues to take a lead role in parent education and activities throughout Josephine County, and will be expanding its parenting classes this year by striving to offer Love and Logic, Make Parenting a Pleasure, and Survival Skills for Frazzled Parents year-round. The One Stop Career Center is up and running in the building, and this year is anticipated to be a year of program growth and expansion in the Family Resource Center. Coalition for Kids will also continue to expand its involvement in partnerships and programs in the Josephine County community.
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