The Guidance Center

Building Community Partnerships strives to develop relationships with organizations and leaders in communities where child protection referrals and substantiations are high, and collaborate to create an environment that supports families who are involved in child welfare.

1.     We have formed a collaborative of social service professionals, community members, politicians, law enforcement, community organizations, and businesses.  Any community member is welcome, and encouraged, to attend our meetings and become a partner.  Please call for our next meeting date and location.

2.    Building Community Partnerships is also a forum for networking and building connections that leads to new initiatives on the individual child and family level, as well as on the macro level.  Members get the word out about their services or goods and how it helps the community.  They engage in community organizing, social justice action, and in making an impact on policy decisions.

3.    We are always looking to establish relationships with community organizations and businesses that are willing to support families involved in the child welfare system.  They may have a skill, trade, or service that could be useful to these families.  Perhaps you know a member of your church that knits mittens that could be donated, or your uncle is a mechanic who would be willing to fix a car for a family.  In return, we could spread the word about their generosity and business.

4.    Building Community Partnerships actively supports public and private child welfare agencies to recruit foster homes in our communities because of the low number of homes for children Downriver and in Dearborn.

5.    We recruit and train volunteers to become Community Representatives who attend meetings about a child’s placement.  The goal of these meetings is to reach consensus about a plan that protects the children and preserves, or reunifies, the family.  Community Representatives represent the birth family’s community and serve as an advocate for these families at the meeting.  They share resources which might support the family, especially those available within the family’s home community.


We Need You!  How can you get involved?

•    Know a family that is going through the child welfare system?  Take a Parent Partner brochure to a family in need!
•    Want to be a caregiver for foster children?  Become a licensed foster parent!
•    Do you (or someone you know) have a skill, trade, or service that could be useful to families in your community?  Become a community partner!
•    Know of resources in your community?  Become a community representative!
•    Know a family that successfully reunited with their children after they were removed by the child welfare system?  They could become a Parent Partner!
•    Tell families that you feel would benefit from Building Community Partnerships Downriver our services and have them call us!


Contact:

The Guidance Center
15601 Northline Road
Southgate, MI  48195
Phone: 734-785-7705 x7291
Website: http://guidance-center.org

Last updated: April 26th, 2011