Family Engagement Program
At FSACC, we believe that parents are their children’s first teachers and, that “you cannot serve the child without serving the family”. We follow the family support principles developed by Parent Services Project, Inc. Our main focus in family support is building partnerships with parents.
Staff and parents work together to develop and manage activities that meets the interests and needs of the current families we serve. These include leadership activities such as our parent advisory group and the board of directors; family fun events such as potlucks, picnics and barbeques; summer camping outings and adult only workshops and classes.
Most activities and events are held in the evenings after parents’ work day. Besides these special activities, classroom teachers are committed to working closely with families on behalf of the children regarding their day-to-day care and their overall health and development. The Center staff also works with families to connect them to needed resources within the county as well as navigate the local school systems.
Families-In-Action (FIA)
The Families-In-Action Committee (FIA) is a group of parents that meet on a regular basis to give advice and plan for upcoming workshops, events, fundraisers and potlucks at the Center. These meetings are valuable in helping parents make new connections with other families, create community and reduce isolation. These are open to everyone and parents are encouraged to participate whenever they can. It’s important to hear parent’s voices as we plan the activities and events for the Center.
Men’s Group
The Men’s Group was initiated by Stan Seiderman (Ethel’s husband) in 1981. The Men’s Group provides opportunities for fathers to interact with their children by being positive role models, thus contributing to the social, emotional and intellectual development of their children. We meet one weekend morning each month. Fathers, stepfathers, big brothers, uncles, etc., meet at the Center to help with various projects, talk about the importance of being a father or a man in this community and plan upcoming activities. They are often accompanied by their children who get to see their dads in action as they build and improve our Center. This is an empowering opportunity which allows the children to see their significant male role models taking part in something that is directly impacting their lives. It is an inherent goal of FSACC to motivate and engage the men involved in all aspects of their children’s lives.
Teen Program
We take great pride in seeing dozens of alunmi return to FSACC to contribute and continue to play a vital role in the center’s community. We provide a robust program for our alumni, and we welcome other community teen volunteers who wish to participate. Teens may start volunteering during the summer before 8th grade. This program can help support them towards college, gives them wonderful work experience and references. They can even earn credits for school. It is a very popular program with the teens who have a great time giving back to the community they grew up in.