Family Service & Children's Aid
MAIN OFFICE   330 West Michigan   Jackson  MI  49201    517-787-7920   Fax 517-787-2440
FIELD OFFICE  3266 N. Adrian Highway   Adrian  MI 49221    517-263-2625   Fax 517-263-7369

Families And Schools Together (FAST) is a well-researched, theory-based program for children and their families. It is designed to build protective factors for children and empower parents to be the primary prevention agents for their children. To date, FAST has been implemented in over 700 communities around the world. FAST has reached children aged 3 weeks to 15 years in rural, suburban, and urban communities.

FAST applies family stress theory, family systems theory, social ecological theory of child development, and adult education and community development theory to achieve its four goals:

An Exemplary, Model Program
FAST is a model program on the short lists of several federal agencies. FAST was one of five programs selected and featured at the 1999 White House Conference on the Prevention of School Violence, and the only family approach. It is a model program listed by the Centers for Substance Abuse Prevention and one of twenty-five model school reform tools. The Coalition of Juvenile Justice features FAST as an exemplary violence prevention program.

Visit the FAST website for a complete list of national awards and honors. www.wcer.wisc.edu/fast   www.fastnational.org

FASTWORKS
FASTWORKS are on-going monthly meetings that take place after families graduate from the 8 week FAST program and continue on for up to two years or more. All FAST models include FASTWORKS as an integral component. FASTWORKS is parent-led: parents plan where they get together for an activity at the school or in the community. Sometimes non-FAST families are invited to participate in activities and other times the FASTWORKS group organizes an event for their whole neighborhood or community. The goal of FASTWORKS is to empower parents to strengthen their families, to be their child’s advocate, and to become leaders in their community and school. By continuing to be involved in FAST, parents build bonds with each other, the school and the community. Families build a network of social support that can stay with them the rest of their lives.

FASTWORKS Values... 
Relationships matter. All parents are doing the best they can with what they have to raise successful children. Positive communication is the key to our effectiveness. We believe in working together as a team. FASTWORKS is a partnership that nurtures on- going relationships between families, schools and communities to create world class citizens.

FASTWORKS Mission 
Unite families and schools for the purpose of attaining successful student achievement. Empower parents, teachers, children and families. Enhance a sense of community. Provide a network of knowledge, skills and understanding.

You sort of start thinking anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve. - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

FAST uses a collaborative multi-disciplinary team to implement services and is voluntary, with no financial cost to participants. While FAST is universal (appropriate for ANY family), FAST targets families that are low-income. FAST is a program that can successfully address problems of safety and violence in schools. The program is operating in several Jackson County elementary schools and is funded by the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy and the City of Jackson Community Development Block Grant Program. Governor’s Discretionary Funds available under the Federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act - Title IV of 1994.

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