Peoria-Area Community Impact Guide 2023-2024

FAMILYCORE Instilling hope by creating the right balance of resources and care to foster and equip healthy, productive children and families.

330 S.W. Washington Street Peoria, IL 61602 Phone: (309) 676-2400 Email: aladingferguson@familycore.org Website: familycore org Facebook : @FamilyCorePeoria

Instagram : @familycore Twitter : @family_core

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Ann Lading-Ferguson, CEO

BOARD MEMBERS Todd Hasty, President

Leonard Ealey, 1st Vice President Hiral Hudson, 2nd Vice-President Nick DeMoss, Treasurer Paul Donahoe, Associate Treasurer Sharon Gramm, Secretary

VISION Strengthening Families for a Stronger Community VALUES Hope, Compassion, Integrity, Advocacy, Service-Focused, Accountability, and Resourceful WHAT WE DO Last year alone, FamilyCore touched 13,792 lives While there’s no universal look to a “family” today, maintaining a caring and steadfast network around you is critical, especially during trying times FamilyCore serves as a bridge, connecting intervention and support to children and adults facing some of list’s most stressful situations, with the end goal of restoring a healthy and happy family unit We work alongside schools, the court system, and other social service agencies to assist with: ADOPTION - One of FamilyCore’s most rewarding tasks is matching children with families who can provide their new forever home We facilitate adoptions for all ages and ethnic backgrounds through our Foster Care Program COUNSELING - FamilyCore’s licensed counselors have a presence in area schools, courts, and social service agencies Our team of professionals identifies social/ emotional, mental wellness, and behavioral concerns They assist with depression, anger management, anxiety, parent-child conflicts, marital concerns, substance abuse, trauma and more A sliding fee scale, along with insurance and employee assistance programs, makes this important intervention affordable FOSTER CARE - Foster care is often required because parents are unwilling

or unable to provide adequate care during times of stress or crisis When children need temporary living arrangements, FamilyCore connects them with safe and caring home environments Foster parents provide love and understanding to children until conflicts are resolved and they can be reunited with their families SINGLE PARENT SUPPORT - FamilyCore works hand-in-hand with single parents or guardians to learn effective communication, appropriate discipline, childhood development techniques and self-care practices These services are provided free of charge to single parents or guardians in Peoria, Woodford, or Tazewell counties with a child under 18 in their care OUTREACH - Succeeding in and staying in school can be challenging for some families FamilyCore has built a wide-reaching spectrum of programs for youth to provide channels for success Services include respite programs for children suspended from school, adoption preservation, family school liaisons who work to prevent suspensions and attendance problems, and a youth anger management program DID YOU KNOW? FamilyCore is 123 years old! At its inception in 1900, FamilyCore was called Associated Charities and Philanthropies The first employee to be hired was a nurse, and the second was a horse The two traveled along the river, serving citizens living in shanties along the banks. Several significant modern day agencies were either born out of or formed alongside this proactive, turn-of the-century organization These include the Visiting Nurse Association, Juvenile Probation, and United Way

Aly Martinez Dean Steiner Chris Watkins Tim Wyman Kim Young

Ann Bond Kathleen Carter Jay Dawson Cortney Foster Jeremy Garrett Priscilla Lyles

KEY STAFF Jeff White, CFO Dale Brown, Director of Operations Melissa Borders, Director of Child Welfare Caitlin Scott, Director of Clinical Tammy Stephens, Director of Development

Ronald Tyler, Director of Outreach Tiera Darnall-Charlton, Director of Human Resources

HOW TO HELP Donations are essential to the success of clients at FamilyCore, and they are greatly appreciated. Monetary gifts are used for: $50 Provides weighted blankets, sensory activities/therapeutic tools for children $100 Stocks the food pantry $150 Gives a foster care child luggage, toiletries, essentials and a backpack $375 Allows for purchase of Sensory Table for waiting room $500 Provides 5-Sessions of counseling for a family/individual unable to pay Gift cards from major retailers are also appreciated to secure personal hygiene products, school supplies, gas, etc.

46

peoriamagazine.com