Lasting change happens little by little. Georgia Family Connection Collaboratives and their local partners are working together across the state to help children thrive, strengthen families, and build healthier communities. From putting books into the hands of young readers to supporting mental health, school success, and family stability, their efforts can change the trajectory of a child’s life, a family’s future, and a community’s well-being.

Helping Children Thrive in School and Beyond

“One way we’re putting our school success strategy into action is through our partnership with the local library and school. We’ve introduced several story strolls at the school, giving children an engaging way to experience stories while moving through the reading activities. Each child also receives a personal copy of the featured book to take home. By combining fun reading experiences with access to books at home, we’re helping build literacy skills and support improved third-grade reading outcomes.” Baker County Collaborative Coordinator Jessica Jennings

“We demonstrate our support for the students we serve so they see Pierce County Family Connection is here for the long run. Through our leadership programs, we have a lot of students who participate in activities outside our organization. We attend their special events, so they can see we care. We’re here to support them in all their endeavors. Teaching kids compassion and kindness now, creates a better world tomorrow.” Pierce County Family Connection Executive Director Stephanie Bell

“Quitman County Family Connection equips local leaders with information and connects them to resources that advance early learning and literacy. We worked on these efforts through Georgia Family Connection Partnership’s Community Partners Supporting Youth Cohort for five years. We targeted on-time high school completion, which we improved in the first year from 73% to 87%. We’re currently at 100% in our fifth year. By helping children build a strong foundation before they enter school, we’re supporting school readiness and setting them up for future success in school and beyond.” Quitman County Family Connection Coordinator Sara Lee Crumbs

“We’re working to improve school success and help prevent child abuse and neglect through our community’s new Mobile Sensory Station. This resource will provide children with a safe, calming environment where they can regulate their emotions, reduce stress, and develop coping skills that support learning and engagement at school. It will also help strengthen families by promoting emotional well-being, increasing caregivers’ understanding of children’s needs, and encouraging positive responses to challenging behaviors. By supporting children and caregivers together, we’re helping reduce family stress and strengthen protective factors.” Walker County Family Connection Coordinator Laura Beth Newsom

Building Stable, Self-Sufficient, and Productive Families

“Our annual Back 2 School Bash is reducing the financial burden on families while bringing our community together to ensure children have the resources they need to succeed in school. By providing school supplies, essential services, and meaningful community connections, we’re addressing our families, with children, with annual incomes less than 150% of the federal poverty threshold while building a stronger, more thriving Crisp County.” Crisp County Community Council Executive Director Monica Robinson

“We’re focused on our family stability strategy by working to reduce child abuse and neglect by increasing awareness of prevention and intervention resources. We place particular emphasis on education and outreach during Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. By sharing information and helping families connect with support, we’re taking critical steps toward safer homes and stronger families. We also advance this strategy through the Polk Family Connection Community Resource Fair, connecting families with basic resources and strengthening community partnerships to develop a stronger support system. What began as new partnerships evolved into friendships and stronger collaborations.” Polk Family Connection Executive Director Rhonda Heuer

Meeting Basic Needs

“Candler County Family Connection coordinates and orders food, while school administrators and counselors help students unload trucks and deliver bags. Our Christian Learning Center class joins us once a month for community service by packing the bags. We also stuff the bags with resources from the Literacy Council, mental health tips from Resilient Georgia, suicide prevention information, and drug prevention bracelets. We even have backpack tags created by Resilient Georgia youth leadership to remind students of positive mental health tips throughout the day. Together we’re meeting immediate needs while supporting student well-being.” Candler County Family Connection Director Lisa Brown Rigdon

“Through our Weekend Grab & Go backpack program, Upson County Family Connection is helping children succeed in school by ensuring they have food to take home over the weekend. We have an amazing program leader and a dedicated roster of volunteers that make every part of this initiative possible. We get to join them in the hands-on work of packing bags, and are reminded that even small acts of service can make a meaningful difference in a child’s life.” Upson County Family Connection Coordinator Angela Norton

“Lee County Family Connection has facilitated Backpack Blessings for 16 years. This program provides weekend nutritional support to students’ pre-K through grade 5 who are identified as most in need and live in food-insecure homes. We serve 130 students each week during the school year, because hunger does not take the weekend off.” Lee County Family Connection Executive Director Patricia James

Creating Healthier Futures

“We’re making a difference through our strategy to improve child health, with a focus on reducing childhood obesity. Through nutrition education and hands-on cooking experiences, students in grades 2 – 5 learn practical skills that can help them make healthier choices. We incorporate these experiences into our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and agricultural education classes using the Charlie Cart Project and our summer Chopper Jr. programs. Little by little, we’re helping children build healthy habits that can last a lifetime.” Emanuel County Family Connection Coordinator Tamra Allen

“Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families works alongside community partners to improve the health and wellness of Rockdale residents, especially those who are medically underserved. Our Health Safety Net initiative helps ensure that uninsured and underinsured residents can access a full range of coordinated health care services. By connecting people with the care they need, we’re taking steps toward healthier families and a stronger community.” Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families Executive Director Kysa Daniels

Nurturing Resilience and Supporting Mental Health

“We recently hosted a Community Showcase Event to promote recovery, substance abuse prevention, and access to community resources. Our efforts focus on reducing underage drinking and vaping among youth, addressing mental health concerns, reducing self-harm, and helping students feel comfortable turning to trusted adults for support—all contributing to a community that thrives. More than 100 participants completed a survey developed by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) during the event. Their responses will help inform our ongoing work, and we’ve submitted the surveys for analysis.” Butts County Life Enrichment Team Executive Director Ann-Marie Eason

“We’re collaborating with our schools and community partners to address McIntosh County Family Connection’s three priorities: mental health and resilience, substance misuse prevention, and literacy. We bring students and parents together for meaningful conversations, educational opportunities, and access to free social-emotional learning books. Using local data identifying substance use and mental health as priority concerns, our Collaborative partners are building a continuum of care—from school-based prevention through MAST (McIntosh Advocating for a Substance-free Tomorrow) and Game Changers to community-based recovery support through New Roots McIntosh—while removing barriers such as transportation. Our focus is reducing substance misuse and strengthening access to recovery support, tracking participation in prevention and recovery services, transportation assistance, and connections to treatment and other essential resources. We measure our impact through student and parent participation, increased awareness and understanding captured through pre- and post-event surveys, and improved access to literacy resources.” McIntosh County Family Connection Coordinator Tracy Sanford

Growing A Love of Learning and Literacy

“Baby Braves is an early literacy outreach program within our Graduates in Training strategy. We focus on preparing children ages birth through 3 for pre-K and beyond by providing families with learning materials, books, and information about child development. By providing parents with the resources and knowledge to support their children’s early learning, we’re laying the foundation for lifelong learning.” Heard County Community Partnership Coordinator Rachel Schory

“Our Lee County Retired Educators encourage a love of reading by hosting monthly book clubs with local Head Start students and children participating in Backpack Blessings, from pre-K through second grade. This grassroots initiative, the Books for Kids Book Club, is part of Literate Lee’s Early Intervention Birth to Age 8 strategy. We distribute 150 books each month, helping each student add 12 books to their home library by the end of the year. Our goal is to support more children in achieving proficient learner status or above on the third-grade Milestones English Language Arts assessment. Every book gives a child another opportunity to practice reading, explore new ideas, and grow as a learner.” Lee County Family Connection Executive Director Patricia James

“Our focus is helping children read at grade level by third grade and supporting school readiness and success. We work alongside Head Start and our local elementary school to help children build the skills they need to thrive in the classroom. By working together across early learning and elementary education, we’re creating more opportunities for children to succeed.” Macon County Family Connection Coordinator Nicole Howell

“We’re helping young children discover the love of reading and develop the skills to become confident readers. We know that when children grow up surrounded by stories and adventures they can share at home, reading can become a lifelong habit. We’re not just helping children succeed in school; we’re helping equip them with skills and experiences that will benefit them throughout their lives.” Pierce County Family Connection Executive Director Stephanie Bell

“We’re using the joy of book ownership to encourage students to show up, make positive choices, and develop a love of reading. Students who earn 100 Dojo points can choose a book of their own from our book vending machine. This incentive supports positive school engagement while helping students build the reading skills they need to reach third-grade reading proficiency.” Seminole County Family Connection Collaborative Coordinator Billie McLendon

“We’re working to improve literacy rates by providing books to children birth to 5 through FERST Readers and by incorporating literacy into school and community activities. Every book we share is another opportunity to encourage a love of reading and help children build the skills they need to succeed.” Tattnall County Family Connection Coordinator Becky Anderson

As part of the Georgia Family Connection statewide network, these Collaboratives alongside children, families, and communities across the state to craft local solutions that maximize resources and make systems more effective and efficient. Find your county.