First 5 Fox Valley will receive a $2 million dollar grant earmarked to establish a Family Resource Center in Outagamie County. F5FV is one of two organizations chosen to receive a grant from Outagamie County, which is part of the County’s American Rescue Plan Act investment program.
The Family Resource Center will bring partner agencies together in a coordinated effort to provide multi-lingual accessible, free, family friendly information and resources that build parental resilience and social connections creating concrete support for healthy child development and reflecting a thriving community.
An additional $750,000 was awarded to Child Care Resource & Referral, Inc. to launch a child care essential services program designed to help parents and childcare providers save time and money by centralizing childcare services.
The First 5 Fox Valley board of directors have located a centralized building and negotiations are ongoing to purchase it. The building being considered would include: a play space for children, classroom, meeting and program space, activity space, office space (including options for other agencies to lease) storage space for families’ supplies, and more.
The vision for the Family Resource Center is to use a “hub and spoke” model with a centralized main location being a one-stop shop for parenting classes, agency collaboration and a location for families to easily navigate the wide range of community resources and referrals available. The spokes would integrate partner agencies and activities at locations families trust as well as virtual spaces placed in geographic areas throughout Outagamie County.
Co-locating partner agencies within the physical hub location will provide a space for agencies to work together in a coordinated fashion, allow quick response to families’ needs and will bring new partners into collaborative work using a building designed to provide face-to-face interactions in a location that is free, open and accessible.
First 5 Fox Valley has already received commitments for partnerships and anchor agencies with the new Family Resource Center including: Children’s Wisconsin, Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin, Parent Connection (a program of Family Services), VPI Early Intervention Birth to 3, Help Me Grow of First 5 Fox Valley, Child Care Resource and Referral, The Building for Kids Children’s Museum, YMCA of the Fox Valley and public libraries.
In addition to the development grant from Outagamie County, First 5 Fox Valley will be seeking additional grants and gifts to purchase and remodel the location currently under consideration by the board. A capital improvement campaign is in the process of being launched.
To learn more about First 5 Fox Valley visit the website at https://firstfivefoxvalley.org or call the offices at 920-422-5437
