Welcome to Family Support Network






MISSION STATEMENT: Family Support Network is dedicated to strengthening families in order to prevent child abuse and neglect through cost-free counseling, parenting education, resource referral, and community-based partnerships. Since 1982, Family Support Network has been the catalyst for strengthening families through cost-free in-home, in-school, and shelter-based counseling in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. In 2007, Family Support Network served 2,269 individuals of which 1,476 were children. Typically, the clients served by Family Support Network fall into two different groups. The first group includes parents who are at serious risk of maltreating their children. These high-risk characteristics are identified by Family Support Network therapists following the initial referral or their first home visit with the family. Some of these characteristics may include a history of maltreatment or neglect, severe poverty, and/or severe challenges with the child's behavior in school. Family Support Network's goal is to go into the home, identify and help solve parenting problems and strengthen the family as a whole, teaching the parent effective parenting skills while working with the child on behavior and coping techniques so that parents and children will become happier and healthier. The second group of parents or caregivers would never neglect or maltreat their children but are feeling stressed out, frustrated, and overwhelmed because of a variety of issues. The child may have a disability or behavior problem and the parent is not sure how to deal with the child. Perhaps the parent is mentally retarded and is not taking care of the child's needs simply because they were never educated on how to care for a child. Maybe the child has a disability and the parent is unsure how to handle it. The mission of the Family Support Network therapist is to look at the entire family and address the families' concerns, teach the parents effective parenting skills, and assist children with their challenges so that everyone involved will become stronger individually making an even stronger family unit. Families voluntarily participate in FSN's programs for a period of 6 to 12 months.

	ANNUAL SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE July 1 - August 31, 2008 You can help change the life of a child and start the school year off right by donating to our annual School Supplies Drive going on now! We are collecting: new and gently used backpacks and book bags plus new school supplies including notebooks, composition books, crayons, pens, #2 pencils, erasers, highlighters, EXPO dry erase markers, three-ring binders, notebook filler paper, rulers, glue sticks, calculators, Kleenex, Clorox-type wipes, Ziploc-style bags (quart and gallon size), anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, Post-It notes and clipboards. Drop off your donations at our office Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (7514 Big Bend Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63119). Contact Stephanie Camden for more information at (314) 644-5055 ext. 104 or scamden(at)familysupportnet(dot)org WINE DINNER & AUCTION Saturday, November 8, 2008 The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis Our annual Wine Dinner & Auction will feature entertainment by St. Louis jazz vocalist ERIN BODE. There are a few options for reserving your tables or tickets this year. Table pricing starts at $3,000 per table of 10 guests or $300 per ticket. To make your reservation, contact Amy Rager at (314) 644-5055 ext. 116 or arager(at)familysupportnet(dot)org PUTTING KIDS FIRST St. Louis County initiative to place a 1/4 cent sales tax on the November 8, 2008 ballot. All funds raised would go to a Community Children's Service Fund to help children, youth and their families living in St. Louis County with tough issues such as mental illness, substance abuse and child abuse. Services to be funded include: outpatient substance abuse treatment, temporary shelter services, transitional living program services, crisis intervention, respite care, individual and group or family counseling services, as well as services for pregnant teenage mothers. 40,000 valid signatures need to be collected before July! We are looking for volunteers to help gather signatures on this petition. To volunteer, contact Stephanie Camden at (314) 644-5055 ext. 104 or scamden(at)familysupportnet(dot)org YOUNG FRIENDS GROUP Family Support Network's young friends group -- FAAN: Friends Against Abuse and Neglect -- is currently recruiting FAAN Board Members. Join in on the fun. To learn more about how you can become a FAAN Board Member, call Stephanie Camden at (314) 644-5055 ext. 104 or scamden(at)familysupportnet(dot)org


	Our Privacy Policy We respect your privacy! Any and all information collected at this site will be kept strictly confidential and will not be sold, reused, rented, loaned or otherwise disclosed. Any information you give to Family Support Network will be held with the utmost care, and will not be used in ways to which you have not consented. Family Support Network does not sell, rent, loan, trade or lease any personal information collected at our site, including email addresses. If you have any questions, please contact Family Support Network via email at info(at)familysupportnet(dot)org

Please help us prevent child abuse. Put your donation on your credit card. Call us today at (314) 644-5055!

Family Support Network is a United Way member agency. Check out their
website at:

Family Support Network is a partner with Missouri's Children's Trust Fund -- Missouri's Foundation for Child Abuse Prevention

www.ctf4kids.org

Family Support Network is currently seeking volunteers to serve as mentors

Family Support Network is seeking volunteer mentors to serve as positive role models to provide support, encouragement and guidance for clients in our programs.

Mentors are unpaid individuals that must be at least 18 years of age. Mentors must also attend an agency orientation at the agency office; pass a Missouri and/or Illinois Division of Family Services background check for child abuse/neglect; and submit to a national criminal background check.

There is no specific training or experience necessary to mentor, but mentors must believe that the family is generally the best social unit to care for children and protect them from violence, and that parenting skills can be taught, modeled and subsequently learned. Mentors are requested to work directly with a family for a period of six months to one year.

To volunteer as a mentor, contact Sue Didier at (314) 644-5055 extension 109 or sdidier(at)familysupportnet(dot)org