Governor Jennifer M. Granholm announced today that 20 more Family Resource Centers will open in Michigan schools when the new school year begins in September.  This will bring to 39 the number of centers operating in Michigan schools.

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“Family Resource Centers help schools focus on education by delivering human services in the school building,” Granholm said.  “Each center pools the community resources of local agencies so families can more efficiently access services.  The collaboration helps families and students get the important services they need while allowing teachers and school officials to concentrate on their most important duty – educating tomorrow’s leaders.”

The new centers will be established in 15 schools outstate and 5 schools in the Detroit Public Schools system that are not yet identified.  The new Detroit schools will be announced later. 

The outstate schools are:

Berrien County - Benton Harbor - Hull Elementary School
Calhoun County - Albion - Washington Gardner Elementary School
Ingham County - Lansing - Wexford Elementary School
Jackson County - Jackson - T.A. Wilson School
Kalamazoo County - Kalamazoo -Spring Valley Elementary School
Kent County - Grand Rapids - Burton Elementary School
Lenawee County - Adrian - Michener Elementary School
Muskegon County - Muskegon Heights - Charles A. Lindbergh Elementary School
Muskegon County - Muskegon - Marquette Elementary School
Oakland County - Pontiac - Owen Elementary School
Oakland County - Oak Park - Pepper Elementary School
Ottawa County - West Ottawa - Pine Creek Elementary School
Presque Isle County - Onaway - Onaway Elementary School
Saginaw County - Buena Vista - C.F. Brunkow Elementary School
Saginaw County - Buena Vista -Ricker Elementary School
Wayne County - Detroit - 5 Schools TBA

Site selection was based on need – participating educational institutions are priority schools with more than half of their students qualifying for free or reduced lunches.  In addition, school and local officials and community partners expressed interest in having the Family Independence Agency, which is the lead agency developing the centers, work on standards to measure the latter three outcomes during the 2004-05 school.  Academic performance is measured on MEAP tests.

“Our staff members and those from affiliated agencies act as central coordination points for families with children in the schools,” said Family Independence Agency Director Marianne Udow.  “These are priority services for our agency that we believe provide early intervention and prevent longer term consequences for children and families.”

Family Resource Center schools selected for participation also had the capacity to develop a center in the school building including technological readiness.

Family Resource Centers were established to help the schools improve academic performance by creating more efficient access to community services.  In addition, the centers have goals to increase parental involvement and decrease absenteeism and behavior problems in school.

"Most often, where we have struggling schools, we also find struggling communities and struggling families," said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Watkins.  "This is another way we can utilize our state resources to wrap our arms around these communities and help clear obstacles to teaching and learning."

The new Family Resource Centers will follow a model developed in these 19 schools that were opened in the 2003-04 school year:

Berrien County - Benton Harbor - Sorter Elementary School
Calhoun County - Battle Creek - Ann J. Kellogg Elementary School
Genesee County - Flint - Bryant Elementary School
Genesee County - Flint - Durant Turri Mott Elementary School
Genesee County - Flint - Washington Elementary School
Ingham County - Lansing - Grand River Magnet Elementary School
Kent County - Grand Rapids - Harrison Park Elementary School
Lenawee County - Adrian - McKinley Elementary School
Macomb County - Mt. Clemens - Mt. Clemens Middle School
Muskegon County - Muskegon - Steele Junior High School
Saginaw County - Saginaw - Heavenrich Elementary School
Wayne county - Detroit - Bellevue Elementary School
Wayne County - Detroit - McFarlane Elementary School
Wayne County - Detroit - Sherrard Elementary School
Wayne County - Detroit - Stewart Elementary School
Wayne County - Detroit - Von Steuben Elementary School
Wayne County - Hamtramck - Kosciuszko Elementary School
Wayne County - Highland Park - Cortland Elementary School
Wayne County - Taylor - Myers Elementary School

For more information on services available locally, go to www.michigan.gov/greatstart