Lopez Island Family Resource Center Programs
Readiness to Learn (RTL)
Family Support Specialists work in the local school district and link families with unmet needs or in a crisis to a safety net of community resources. There is a possibility we will lose funding for the RTL because of state government cuts.
Program Objectives: 60 children (ages 6-16)
Staffing: .50 FTE Familly Advocates in the Lopez School.
Family Support Programs
Provides food, clothing, housing, health care, transportation, information, referral or direct assistance to address issues of isolation, poverty, unemployment and basic needs of families who lack support or are in crisis.
Program Objectives: 350 families
Staffing: .75FTE (Executive Director, Office Assistants, Program Coordinator)
Financial Literacy and Small Business Training
Provides classes for community members to increase financial, employment and job-building skills and address lack of resources for individuals interested in starting a small business.
Program Objectives: 65 families/community members
Staffing: 4 contractual/consulatants (class instruction) and .2 FTE staff time for one on one computer instruction.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
We recently received this letter from a father which speaks to the real success of our programs:
“I arrived on Lopez in 2008. Due to unforeseen circumstances I became homeless with my family of five. Upon getting a job and finding a house to move into I was short move in costs. The Family Resource Center was able to help with these costs. This act of helping my family and I was very key to our start here on Lopez. Christmas that same year in the mist of all that snow Santa arrived. The LIFRC brought gifts for all of us. A once lonely tree was filled with wrapped presents. He LIFRC has provided mentors for my kids, summer workshop scholarships when needed, tutoring with homework, and other needed training and resources for myself. The role the LIFRC plays in our life is immeasurable. I feel very grateful and blessed to have this resource available. Thank you very much from all of us.”
We have lost and are anticipating additional cuts to much of our basic funding for our family support, education and enrichment programs. Family Support is the core of our programs and we continue to see high needs in our community because of the economic situation. The LIFRC is specifically trying to maintain its current level of programming that is such a vital part of the community with this general operating grant. We currently have lost our funding for the Primary Intervention Program (PIP) on Lopez Island. Based upon nationally recognized model from the Rochester Children’s Institute, PIP seeks to address the needs of preschool children who show evidence of school adjustment difficulties. The program seeks to detect, reduce, and /or prevent social, emotional, and adjustment difficulties our young students may be experiencing, and thus better prepare them for academic and social success. Working collaboratively with the Lopez Children's Center, students are screened (AML Behavior Rating, etc.) and /or referred to the program for pre-determined periods of time. With the trained PIP provider/coordinator, the children engage in individual or small group interactions, usually through expressive play, and identified intervention services are provided by the PIP staff under the consult of our mental health professional Family Advocate. The desired outcomes for the program include increasing task orientation, behavior control, assertiveness, social skills, and readiness to learn in each child identified and served, to reduce risk factors threatening their school success.