About Us
The Partnership for Families, Children and Youth is a collaborative partnership of more that 250 organizations working with families to research the needs of children and families in our community, and to work together to address those needs.
Assessing the Needs of Walton County
We pursue that goal by addressing the root causes of problems, building on cultural and other strengths, pooling resources, engaging an extraordinary diversity of community members, and committing to a long-term process of planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Using a family-centered approach, schools, health and human service agencies, business, the faith community, law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, civic clubs, and others work together with families, focusing on academics, physical and mental health, nurturing parenting, economic success, and community service. We tap existing resources, streamline systems to be more efficient and effective, and initiate new projects like those listed below.
Our Goals
- Reduce Number of Families and Children Living in Poverty
- Reduce Risky Behaviors of Youth
Our Partners
Department of Family & Children Services, Path Project, American Legion Post 233, Walton County Chamber of Commerce, Student Success Alliance, Care Source, Piedmont Walton, Ridgeview Institute, Athens Technical College; Monroe Campus, Action, Inc. , Development Authority of Walton County, Walton Youth Project, Inc., Georgia Legal Services, A Child’s Voice Advocacy Center, Walton County Parks and Recreation, Walton County DA’s Office, Project Renewal, City of Monroe Fire Department, City of Monroe, Faith in Serving Humanity (FISH), Walton County Board of Commissioners, Walton County Public Schools, Social Circle City Schools, 21st Century, Public Health, Department of Juvenile Justice, Individual Businesses, Juvenile Court, Police Departments, Multiple Choices, Georgia Dept. of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Department of Community Supervision, Project Renewal, Med Link, Behavioral Health Link and GA Crisis and Access Line, Devereux, Mind Family & Social Services, Inc., Easter Seals North Georgia, Good Will of North Georgia, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Unbridled Joy, Amerigroup, Department of Labor, Boys & Girls Club, Advantage Behavioral Health, Local Churches, Council on Aging, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Uncle Remus Library, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, and MANY others.
Our most important partners are the families whose children we are serving.
Some projects that have been initiated through this process:
- Homeless Education program
- Nutrition outreach
- Summer Youth Programs
- Walton Teen Advocacy Board
- Adolescent Substance Abuse Education Program
- Online Resource Directory
- Walton County Collaborative Meetings
- Poverty Simulation
- Sweet Sobriety Campaign
- Positive Messages Campaign
- Poverty Conversations
Our Results
Working in partnership with families, we have tackled intractable problems like teen pregnancy, child abuse and neglect, school dropout, and physical and mental health disparities, with implementation by the partners (School District, Health Department, DFCS, Advantage, etc.).
Working together, our partners have achieved remarkable results. Just a few for example:
- With the leadership of Public Health in collaboration with other partners, STD rates have improved
- Students reporting alcohol use has improved
- Children living in poverty decreased
- DFCS is seeing an increase in reports of abuse and neglect since COVID-19
- We were instrumental in saving Department of Labor in Walton County.
The Future
Our success is our partners’ success – we bring them together, they develop and implement the strategies. Our most important partners are the families whose children are being served.
Please join with us through financial support and/or active participation to achieve our goal: All children will grow to realize their full potential.
About Georgia Family Connection
Georgia Family Connection, a statewide infrastructure for aligning efforts across sectors, comes together through two distinct but connected change-makers: a statewide network of Collaboratives in all 159 counties and Georgia Family Connection Partnership (GaFCP). Each strengthens the other—and together, they form Georgia Family Connection.
We work toward measurably better outcomes across five key result areas:
The Georgia Family Connection statewide network—the only one of its kind in the country—works alongside children, families, and communities to help them thrive by crafting local solutions that maximize resources and make systems more effective and efficient. This network cultivates collaboration among community service providers, reducing duplication of efforts and allowing everyone to do more with the resources available.
Collaboratives equip local service agencies and organizations with the tools and methods they need to be more effective, helping them develop and work together on integrated strategies to improve child, family, and community well-being. We fill in service gaps in our communities by functioning as an incubator for direct services to families and children when a need isn’t being met. We also respond to urgent situations by maintaining strong relationships and the infrastructure necessary to deliver timely support.
GaFCP unites the statewide network in a shared framework that promotes consistent, ongoing collaboration and peer learning—equipping Collaboratives to draw on communities’ collective wisdom and experience across the state. GaFCP develops effective partnerships with state leaders, private enterprises, and other stakeholders to link the network with public and private funding, resources, talent, and innovation. GaFCP also empowers leaders across Georgia by making data accessible and providing practical tools, training, and technical assistance to support informed decision-making.
