Family Access Network's Collective Impact Work

Written by: Ashley Shufflebarger, AmeriCorps VISTA member with MCCOY

Thanks to the time and effort of many partnering organizations, Family Access Network is working collectively to bring about positive changes for children and families living in Near West.  While building a physical location will be significant, our work is most important in its collective strides to increase opportunities for families to be safe, healthy and self-sufficient.  FAN partners recognize there is work is to be done and it needs to start now!

Collective impact is defined as the commitment of a group…from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem.

In other words, collective impact takes dedicated minds from different sectors, and uses these resources to solve issues on a more involved level than mere organizational collaboration.  FAN aims to solve the issue of child abuse, neglect and delinquency, with MCCOY serving as the backbone organization to keep efforts focused and moving forward.

At present, FAN’s collective impact team has identified a few potential projects for the Near West side to promote healthy children, families and the community, including:

·         Increasing the number of residents who have health care coverage, and later increasing use of preventive services.

• Increasing the number of Near West children in high quality child care programs.
•  Increasing the number of families engaged in quality home visiting services such as Nurse Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, and Early Head Start. 

If this work interests you, join us at our next collective impact meeting, on October 21, 2014 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Haughville Branch Library.    

If you would like to learn more about collective impact, please join us for any of three different webinars through the Collective Impact Forum hosted by FSG.  MCCOY will host viewing parties and a 30-minute post viewing dialogue for each webinar.  The first webinar will be held in the United Way Building, and the final two webinars in the Haughville Library.  Please contact Ashley Shufflebarger for more information or to RSVP!