Family Strengthening Initiatives

"A deliberate and sustained effort to ensure that parents have the necessary opportunities, relationships, networks and supports to raise their children successfully, which includes involving parents as decision makers in how their communities meet family needs . "
As defined by the Annie E. Casey Foundation
Family Strengthening: Fostering, Strong, Healthy and Vibrant Families

Goal:
Families gain access to programs and services to support their needs and enhance family success.

Fact:

Over 80% of the referrals to NJ's child abuse and prevention agency from Union County originate from United Way's target communities.

Strategies

United Way of Greater Union County works to ensure:

Individuals and families have the resources and support to be productive and healthy.
Parents and care givers have the resources and skills to successfully support the children and youth in their care.
Parents/ guardians are actively involved with their children in the school, the community and in non-school related activities.

INITIATIVES

Strong, Vibrant and Healthy Families

Strong, Vibrant and Healthy Families, provides support and access to a broad range of community-centered services to families based on their strengths and needs-making families and neighborhoods stronger.

United Way and our partners believe:

Children do better when their families are strong and families do better when they live in communities that help them to succeed.
Programs and services comprise a family strengthening approach when they are family-focused, place-based, and collaborative.
Together we are developing the Union County Family Success Network click here to read more about our work to strengthen families in Union County.

Union County Family Strengthening Networks are:

A unique public-private partnership designed to maximize and leverage all the available resources within Union County on behalf of children and families. United Way of Greater Union County, in partnership with the Union County Department of Human Services, provides oversight, planning, implementation and support of an intergrated local system of prevention, family support and early intervention (Family Success Centers).

These centers are community based, family-centered neighborhood gathering places

where any community resident can go for family support, information and services.

United Way is working to establish Family Success Centers throughout Union County.

We are currently located in: Elizabeth, Linden, Plainfield, and Roselle.