La Plata Family Centers Coalition

Community led response initiatives/ iniciativas de respuesta lideradas por lacomunidad together we grow/juntos crecemos as the result of a participatory processwith community members, volunteers, partnering organizations, lpfcc's staff, board of directors and experts, together we grow/juntos crecemos was created as a newcommunity-led initiative to put to work existing infrastructure to build a local,sustainable food economy, grow economic mobility and encourage pride inmultigenerational cultural heritage, thanks to a grant from the colorado healthfoundation. Lpfcc has successfully implemented year three of this initiative and isready to continue the efforts thanks to additional funding primarily from thecolorado health foundation. Key parent-leaders from the community who have been central in defining community suggestions for this project have up to 13 years ofexperience through the "giving garden" initiative, growing in season, post-harvestvegetable, distribution, tracking and in organizing sustained community involvement.we are also supported by a local farmer-advisor with successful, diverse, vegetableproduction. Activities will be conducted by community members and overseen andsupported behind the scenes by lpfc and project volunteer, staff in a manner thatupholds the expertise and power of community participants. Progress will be overseenby the lpfcc executive director under the guidance of the board of directors and thecommunity at large. The colorado fatherhood program (cfp) - this is a five-yearcontract with office of early childhood to facilitate cfp, a family-centeredcomprehensive case management program. It provides connections to community-basedservices and supports in the areas of healthy relationships, responsible parenting,economic stability and building social capital for all fathers in the communitywhere the fatherhood program is delivered. Targeted outreach includes fathers(biological, expectant, adoptive, stepfathers, foster, kinship, and grandfathers)over 18 years, with children or caring for children up to age 24 years. This programis expected to serve a minimum of 35 fathers. Through the membership with the familyresource center association, la plata family centers coalition has opportunities tostrengthen existing programs. The family resource center association's family support services framework used by lpfcc outlines three distinct paths of support and associated assessments and data tracking. This framework includes the coloradofamily support assessment 2.0 (cfsa2) and ensures best practices are consistentlyfollowed throughout service delivery. Lpfcc also utilizes the quality standards forfamily strengthening & support, issued by the california network of familystrengthening networks and adopted by the national network of family support andstrengthening networks, as a tool for ensuring that families are supported and strengthened through quality practice. These standards integrate and operationalizethe principles of family support practice with the strengthening families approachand its research-based, evidence-informed five protective factors. In addition toproviding training and technical support, the family resource center associationacts as a pass through for funding from other foundations such as delta dental andcdphe. According to the lpfcc annual report for 2023-2024, lpfcc provided 37,702services including program support, concrete resources, and financial assistance to650 unduplicated families and 1,530 unduplicated individuals from differentsocioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. During the growing and harvesting season,lpfcc's pond farm and four satellite gardens produced 15,000 lbs. Of fresh organicproduce. This supplied families, individuals and partnering agencies such as fourthe children, escalante reading club and la escuelita at the four corners immigrantresource center compaeros. The lpfcc's emergency food pantry was accessed 6,500 times during this reporting period. Support continues for four family entrepreneurships,including youth egg & meat sales,catering business - supporting self-sufficiency.

The early childhood education program offers the parents as teachers (pat) homevisitation program to families with young children including free hearing, vision,and developmental screenings, and parenting education through non-violentcommunication workshops, skill building opportunities and financial health literacy.social connection opportunities include group connections, project merry christmas,back to school fair, fatherhood events such as bowling, hiking and social cafes, inaddition to ongoing gardening and farming projects throughout the spring and summer.colorado community response program was offered in archuleta, san juan, and la platacounties until june 2024, to deliver brief intervention services and support tofamilies and children that have been screened out and referred by department of human services from child abuse and neglect referrals. Services include goalsetting, financial coaching, flex funding to address immediate need as well asreferrals to resources and other local services to prevent and reduce childmaltreatment. The parents as teachers (pat) program has successfully increasedparental knowledge, skills, social connections, early childhood literacy, and schoolreadiness. By accessing new community resources, agencies and recreationalopportunities, parents and children were able to gather, create, learn and exploretogether. We are excited to report that lpfcc pat program has met and exceededessential requirements, including visit frequency. We were recognized as ablue-ribbon affiliate by the parents as teachers national office. This affirms thatlpfcc is a nationally recognized leader in the home visitation and parent educationfield and is among the very top programs implementing the evidence-based parents asteachers model with fidelity and quality.