Family Resource Center Association

In 1993, the Colorado Department of Human Services established the Family Resource Centers Program as a five year pilot, public/private initiative to help vulnerable families. When state funding ended in 1998, the Family Resource Center Association was established as a strategic statewide network for Family Resource Center advocacy and funding. Since that time, FRCA has worked to improve systems, capacity, and outcomes for family support and Colorado FRCs. Today, over 56,000 people each year are provided with a safe, accessible place to connect with comprehensive, coordinated services in their local communities, through FRCA's collaborative network of Family Resource Center members. FRCA and their member centers have improved local family support service delivery systems that increase family self-sufficiency outcomes for more than 20 years. One lesson learned in those 20 years is that when you provide families with a primary point of entry for multiple resources, you significantly increase their chances for success in reaching their goals for economic, social, health and financial stability. True change can occur for families and in our communities. The network system approach increases the effectiveness of the family resource centers by identifying, creating and facilitating our common agenda, learning opportunities, a system to use the shared learning to shape the future, a shared data collection and reporting system and resources, including funding. The founding purpose and mission of FRCA continues to remain the same and is growing as FRCA becomes a state leader in the family support field and the FRCs become key stakeholders in local communities to strengthen families.