Family Resource and Youth Services Centers, Kentucky Department of Education
As part of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990, legislators in Kentucky laid the groundwork for comprehensive, statewide, integrated service delivery system called Family Resource and Youth Services Centers. Currently, there are 560 centers serving 911 schools across the state of Kentucky. Most centers are located at or near school sites and provide various services according to the needs of the local community.
There are two types of centers. Family Resource Centers serve elementary schools and provide access to child care, parenting training, child development training, parent and child education services, and health screening services and referrals. Youth Services Centers serve secondary schools and provide employment counseling, training and placement, summer and part-time job development, drug and alcohol abuse counseling, and family crisis and mental health counseling.
To become a Family Resource Center or Youth Services Center, the proposed school site must have a student population in which at least 20 percent of the students are eligible for free school lunch. After the center is established, it is open to the whole community.
Various human services at a school are offered by an interagency task force, which is guided by a local advisory council. The council has school and parent representatives and is responsible for conducting a needs assessment, setting policy, reviewing budgets, and planning for the future. The school principal actively collaborates with parents and service agencies.
For further information, refer to the following sources: