About Us

Who We Are

Controlled at the community level, Family Connection is present in every county in Georgia. It is the largest statewide network of communities in the nation that have made a commitment to improve results for children and families. Communities In Schools, present in fifty Georgia communities and over 2,000 communities in the U.S., also controlled at the local level, is the nation’s largest dropout prevention initiative. For the last two years, Worth magazine named Communities In Schools one of the 100 best nonprofits in the U.S.

We are a partnership of organizations working with families to research the needs of children and families in our community, and to work together to address those needs.

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Our Over-Arching Goal: All Children Will Succeed in School and in Life.

 

We pursue that goal by addressing the root causes of problems, building on cultural and other strengths, pooling resources, engaging an extraordinary diversity of community members, and committing to a long-term process of planning, implementation, and evaluation. We are working hard in our community to build self-sufficient and stable families.
Using a family-centered approach, schools, health and human service agencies, business, the faith community, law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, civic clubs, and others work together with families, focusing on academics, physical and mental health, nurturing parenting, economic success, and community service. We tap existing resources, streamline systems to be more efficient and effective, and initiate new projects like those listed below.

Our Partners

Department of Family & Children Services, Public Health, 4-H Cooperative Assistance, Department of Juvenile Justice, Chamber of Commerce, individual businesses, Juvenile Court, Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office, Lumpkin County Parks and Recreation, Lumpkin County School System, Child Abuse Prevention Council, Enotah Court Appointed Special Advocates, Child Advocacy Center Development Committee, Community Helping Place and many others. Our most important partners are the families whose children we are serving.

Our Projects

  • Backpack Buddies Program providing weekend feeding for an average of 50 families.
  • Parent Education using an evidence based curriculum (individual or group).
  • Stewards of Children and Connections Matter Community Trainings.
  • Family Advocacy Program in the Lumpkin County School System.
  • Mentor Program in Lumpkin County Schools (Volunteers always needed – 30 minutes a week with a mentee when school is in session). View the brochure here.
  • Individual Life Skill Lessons monthly and Support Groups weekly.
  • Student Outreach Center offering emergency assistance funds, a food pantry, clothing closet, hygiene closet, and school supply closet.
  • Monthly Collaborative Meetings hosted for community partners to network and learn about resources.
  • Lending Library located at our Student Outreach Center for all ages.

 

Biggest Needs

  • Mentors
  • Hygiene Drive/Donations (toilet paper, laundry detergent, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant)
  • Food Drive/Donations
  • New or gently used leggings/pants
  • Feminine hygiene items
  • Baby wipes

About Georgia Family Connection

Georgia Family Connection is the only statewide network of its kind in the country with partners in all 159 counties working toward measurably better outcomes for our children, families, and communities. This gives us a unique vantage point—not only to see the big picture—but also to operate effectively at a local level.

We disentangle the mess of barriers, service gaps, and inefficiencies obscuring progress for our most vulnerable families. We do that by connecting our partners to resources, helping coordinate and manage efforts, and empowering our communities to craft local solutions based on local decisions.

Georgia Family Connection Partnership (GaFCP) represents and promotes Georgia Family Connection’s work, provides expertise in planning and governance, administers the state-appropriated funds for the local Collaboratives, sets standards of excellence, and helps Collaboratives evaluate their progress.

The state’s designated KIDS COUNT grantee, GaFCP also provides state agencies and policymakers with current, reliable data they need to inform decisions about improving conditions for the communities they serve.

Our Work

At Georgia Family Connection, we work to ensure that all children are healthy, primed for school, and succeed when they get there; families are stable, self-sufficient, and productive; and communities are vibrant, robust, and thriving.

None of these result areas stand in isolation. They overlap. By collaborating across sectors to address them, we nurture children and families who thrive in vibrant communities—everywhere. Because we work toward measurably better outcomes for everyone.