Community family resources provide support to help strengthen families and society overall. Whether the focus of the agency or organization is to provide low-cost services in such fields as child care or tax preparation, many people rely on these programs for help that they may not receive otherwise. Family resources are found throughout communities in schools, churches, non-for-profit agencies and others.
Health Departments
Your local health departments at both the state and county levels may provide multiple services for free or a low cost. For example, in Indianapolis, Ind., there are confidential HIV testing sites, sexually transmitted disease clinics, well baby clinics, early childhood developmental programs and immunization programs available at the county level. The State Health Department of New York provides over twenty different health insurance programs ranging from family coverage to long-term coverage. It is possible that the state you live in has similar types of programs. These options may include the health-related solution you have been searching for.
Schools
Check with your child's school and other learning institutions in the area to investigate what types of services or programs they offer to the community. Schools can offer a variety of family resources at different levels. Investigate school supply drives, school supply pantries and back-to-school immunization programs for help with back-to-school costs. Aftercare programs that offer structured environments have gained popularity in recent years. These programs may offer art, music and dance classes among others for a small fee. In many areas, in-school health clinics have been implemented. According to information from the American Public Media, there are, as of 2010, 2,000 school-based health centers across the country.
Churches
Churches around the world have a long tradition of providing family-oriented community services. One main purpose behind the church is to support and preserve the family unit. Not only may you find the spiritual guidance you and your family may need, but you may also find other people with similar beliefs to network with. A church can provide you with a new social network of people. The people involved will generally have similar values and belief systems, which makes it easy for individuals to communicate and work together. Church groups often help communities by opening soup kitchens and food and clothing pantries, and hosting basic skills classes that cover topics such as first aid, English as a second language, and more.
Hospitals
Hospitals are a great source for education and wellness. Hospitals hold classes for smoking cessation, child birthing, breast feeding, diabetic control and care, and weight loss, to name a few. These classes may or may not be of reasonable cost, but they are worth looking into since the quality of the programs will generally be quite high.
