C & A LAN 56 Family Centered Services Program
Families and Schools Together (FAST)
FAST in an eight-week, early intervention/prevention program designed to reduce factors associated with school failure, child abuse and neglect, juvenile delinquency, and substance abuse in adolescence. The program targets the whole family, and participation is strictly voluntary. Families with a child age 5 - 9 in a participating school are eligible.
Goals
FAST is designed to meet the following goals:
-
To build good communication among family members
-
To help family members express their emotions with one another with respect
-
To help children achieve in school
-
To be fun for the whole family
-
To help parents learn about and work with their children's schools and other community resources, so they feel more connected and have a better support network
Program Components
FAST groups meet once a week for eight weeks on weekday evenings. During these meetings the program provides:
-
Free meals, free transportation to and from the meetings, and free child care for the children
-
Adult-supervised fun games and activities for children
-
Quiet time for parents to talk with one another - about parenting, the school, and their community, and about life in general
-
One-to-one "quality time" for parents and child
-
Information about community resources and the school
-
Fun activities for the entire family
-
Free prizes for all families
After the first eight weeks, families continue to meet monthly for a year, enjoying activities of the group's choosing, funded by the program.
Eligibility and Benefits
FAST is provided free to participants, including food, fun family activities, child care and transportation, as needed. Families are eligible if they have a child age 5 - 9 in a participating school in the southwest suburbs (in 2001, this has been at Hale Primary School in Crestwood). Adoptive and reunifying families are especially welcome. Participants may also access other programs of Metropolitan Family Services, such as Legal Aid Bureau, Consumer Credit Counseling, and Camp Algonquin.
Funding/Accreditation
Primary funding for the southwest suburban Families and Schools Together program comes from DCFS (LAN 56 FCS funds). Metropolitan Family Services is an accredited provider of FAST through the Alliance for Children and Families.
Call Today
For more information about this program or other school-based programs through Metropolitan Family Services, call Gracemary Rosenthal at (708) 974-5132.
About Metropolitan Family Services - For over 140 years, Metropolitan Family Services has been at the heart of Chicago and its suburbs - valuing the vibrancy and strength of more than 100,000 client families each year. Working together with schools, local organizations, and neighborhood residents, Metropolitan Family Services helps families find the support they need to address issues that are most important to them.
Return
to LAN 56
Return
to LANs Page