Family Access Network ‘$5 for Under Five’ campaign

FAN has had Early Childhood advocates in Deschutes County for over 10 years. In September, current federal funding for the three advocates will expire.

In addition to serving students in the public school system, grades K-12, FAN also strives to connect basic-need services to those populations with younger children who aren’t yet in school.

Currently there are Early Childhood FAN advocates who serve this population county-wide. FAN’s EC advocates connect over 800 children ages 0-5 and their families to basic-need services such as food, shelter, heating, healthcare and more, each year. FAN’s EC advocates are a critical link to our youngest children and their families.

In addition to competitive grants, the FAN Foundation is looking for the community’s support to fund advocate positions dedicated to serving families with children five years and under. Our goal is to raise enough money to retain EC advocate services for the 2014-15 school year, and beyond.

You can help to sustain this important service in two ways:

Give a minimum of $5/month (through automatic withdrawal from a bank account) and it will go directly to the funding of our Early Childhood program. That’s about the price of a large latte a month!
Schedule a FAN representative to come to your business or organization and share this $5 For Under Five campaign with your staff or membership.

If you can help, please contact Kristal Hyatt at 541.633.5541 or kristal.hyatt@hdesd.org.

FAN advocates exist in all public schools (K – 12) and in early childhood sites in Deschutes County. Since the beginning of the school year, FAN has served over 6,700 children and family members. The advocates are service brokers who link children and families to critical social support with the goal of keeping children in school. By placing advocates in public schools, FAN provides a direct, convenient way to connect those in need with vital services.

For more information on other ways that you can help FAN reach out to school children in need, please call the Family Access Network Foundation at 541.693.5675 or visit www.familyaccessnetwork.org.