Kentucky Ag Connection - New Resource Centers Help Ensure Student Success

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New Resource Centers Help Ensure Student Success
Kentucky Ag Connection - 01/15/2019

Over 33,000 Kentucky students now have access to supplemental services at school thanks to the recent opening of 28 new Family Resource Youth Services Centers (FRYSC), or "friskies" centers as they are commonly called. Kentucky now has 854 FRYSCs across the Commonwealth.

The primary goal of the centers is to remove non-academic barriers to learning in order to enhance student academic success. FRYSCs may provide referrals to health services, tutoring, clothing, food and other resources to students and their families. In the 2018 General Assembly, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) Division of Family Resource Youth Services Centers (FRYSC) was awarded approximately $8 million additional dollars to further the work of these local school-based centers. FRYSC held a competitive grant review for eligible schools statewide, resulting in the creation of the new centers.

CHFS staff celebrated the additional centers with educators, students, legislators and community leaders at an open house at the Family Resource Center (FRC) at the Warren County school district's Henry F. Moss Middle School in Bowling Green.

CHFS Deputy Secretary Kristi Putnam said that FRYSCs are the bridges linking the cabinet with schools and their communities.

"FRYSCs staff help provide missing services that help strengthen families so children can focus on school and build a firm foundation in education," Putnam said. "Children's well-being and healthy development is one of this cabinet's top priorities, and these new centers expand our opportunity to support that outcome."

The new centers represent 33,225 students who will now have access to FRYSC services, which work to enhance students' ability to succeed in school by developing and sustaining partnerships that promote early learning and successful transition in school, academic achievement and well-being, and graduation and transition into adult life.

In addition to opening new centers, a portion of the additional funding was used to reconfigure existing centers, allowing them to serve the school population more effectively. In total, 53 existing centers have been reformatted to maximize services.

FRYSC Director Melissa Goins said the services and referrals provided by the centers can have a wide and positive impact on long-term outcomes.

"The changes FRYSCs provide make children better students, and those students become better citizens," she said. "Our program coordinators have long been the first line of service for children and parents -- recognizing signs of suspected child abuse, providing a link to job training and career services, and offering referrals to substance abuse, mental health and other medical services. Every center is unique to meet local challenges and best utilize local resources."

To learn more, log onto the Cabinet's homepage: chfs.ky.gov and type FRYSC in the "What can we help you find?" search bar.

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