This section offers organizations and materials that have resources available in tailoring partnerships for rural, urban and suburban communities.

California Network of Family Strengthening Networks

The Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support, issued by the California Network of Family Strengthening Networks and adopted by the National Network of Family Support and Strengthening Networks, is a valuable tool for ensuring that families are supported and strengthened through quality practice.

These Standards integrate and operationalize the Principles of Family Support Practice with the Strengthening Families Approach and its research-based, evidence-informed 5 Protective Factors.  To download a free copy of the Standards, please go to www.cnfsn.org/standards-of-quality.html.

Rural School and Community Trust

The Rural Trust works to develop and support highly effective leaders among parents, school boards and district offices, community-based organizations, and local governmental bodies — leaders who are willing and able to work across boundaries to ensure educational equity and excellence for every child.

Rural Trust: Who We Are and What We Do

Guide to Local Collaboratives & Family Resource Centers (Kern County)

Kern County’s diverse communities have set the pace for California in developing community strength through local collaboration. Neighborhood-based coalitions identify and address local issues ranging from joblessness to gang violence to graffiti removal. Many communities have brought together health and social service agencies to offer locally based family-centered services.

Kern County’s Collaboratives (including some that are Family Resource Centers)

Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University

Poor academic outcomes by K-12 students in rural areas are traditionally ignored in the school reform debate. Emerging research suggests that improvements could be realized if lessons learned from community organizing for education reform in urban settings are effectively applied in rural communities.

Why We Should Invest in Rural Community Organizing for Education Reform

Wallace Foundation

Susan Frey’s 2013 EdSource article about the Wallace Foundation’s report notes “committed leadership, data-sharing and citywide collaboration between program providers are the keys to more and better programs for youth.

Better Together: Building Local Systems to Improve Afterschool.