Family Resource Centers (FRC) across the state of Kansas are accessing IRIS technical assistance to build referral practices that increase interconnectedness between social service providers in their communities as a part of the Family Resource Center Evaluation, funded by the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
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IRIS has partnered with the Family Resource Center (FRC) Evaluation to help build the right doors for families to connect to the services they need to thrive. Funded by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) and supported by Kansas Children's Service League-led Kansas Family Support Network, FRCs in this initiative provide universal child and family well-being support to families in ten Kansas communities through supportive programs including concrete supports for basic needs, case management and navigation, and referrals to other services and programs. Led by University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research (KU CPPR) the FRC Evaluation seeks to evaluate the impact of family support services delivered through a universal community-based family resource center model and leverage data to: 1) understand the impact FRCs have on communities in Kansas; 2) further develop and expand FRCs as hubs within the community for connection to services, and 3) promote, strengthen, and develop an interconnected network of social service providers in communities for families to thrive.
Recognizing the potential of hubs such as FRCs to strengthen entire networks, we are excited to support the FRC Evaluation participants to build practices that increase interconnectedness between social service providers in their communities. Participating FRCs can access technical assistance directly from the IRIS implementation team to implement strategies to increase community awareness and understanding of the local Family Resource Center, to improve both the quantity and quality of referrals sent and received by their organization. While many of the FRCs are in communities where an IRIS network exists, through this opportunity sites can also establish new IRIS networks in their community.
