Spencerport School District receives
federal Family Support Center grant

Munn Elementary School counselor Mark Fish has been appointed the coordinator of Spencerport's new Family Support Center, now in development with support from a $400,000 federal grant. The Family Support Center is a collaborative effort to provide support services to district families. "This grant will have a major impact on our community," says Phillip W. Langton, Spencerport's superintendent. "With our community partners, we can provide a full range of support services for our neighbors." The Town of Ogden and the Village of Spencerport helped the district secure the grant, which is one of eight grants awarded nationwide.

When in operation, the Family Support Center will be open to all students and families in the Spencerport district, the Town of Ogden and the Village of Spencerport. It will coordinate community support services for students and families, making them more accessible and more affordable for families in need of prevention and intervention mental health services. Educational resources will also be available. The Family Support Center will be set up as a model for other communities.

The approach includes family, school and community-based agencies to identify student strengths, establish common goals and create effective partnerships. "We will now have a continuum of services for students and families," says Terry Hedges, Director of Student Information Services, who co-authored the grant. "This will help strengthen the families in our community and also help children come to school ready to learn." Hedges wrote the grant with Mark Fish, a counselor at Munn Elementary School who also researched the concept. The data and resources he collected on a one-year sabbatical were included in the grant application.

The grant covers the cost of developing and operating the center for the first two years. Part of the grant money is dedicated to measuring the effectiveness of the center. Among the community partners already committed to the support center are: Park Ridge Youth Outreach Program; Park Ridge Mental Health Center; Strong Family Therapy Services; Strong Family Therapy Training Program; Ogden-Spencerport Youth Development; Prevention Partners; Children Coordinated Services Initiative; the Monroe County Interagency Council; the Town of Ogden Police Department, the DARE program, and the Monroe County Sheriff's Department.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the grant to Spencerport. The other communities receiving Family Support Center grants are: Valley View, Ohio; Los Angeles, California; Oakland, California; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Cincinnati, Ohio; Brooklyn, New York; and Tawas City, Michigan.