Family and Children First

About Family and Children First

What is the Family and Children First Council?
The Hamilton County Family and Children First Council is an organization of 80 agencies who serve children and families or are interested in children's issues. Parents also can belong to the council. The primary purpose of the Family and Children First Council is to improve outcomes for families and children by providing streamlined and coordinated services that are responsive to the needs of families in our community.

What is the Children First Plan?
Several years ago, the Council members identified four issues of great importance to families of Hamilton County. Those issues are:

to reduce the number of high school drop outs
to reduce the number of suspensions, exclusions and truancies
to reduce the number of abused and neglected children
to increase the connection students feel with their schools

The Children First Plan was developed by the Family and Children First Council as a way to impact these very important priorities. It is a comprehensive program designed to help families, students, teachers and neighboring communities’ work as a team to make a difference in the Council's priority areas. The Children First Plan is housed in several school sites that were selected by the Council.

Why was Schwab Elementary School selected as a Children First site?
In selecting school sites, the Family and Children First Council looked for schools that were deeply committed to improving outcomes for their children and families who were willing to "do whatever it takes" to make a positive difference in the lives of their students. Schwab Elementary met those criteria.

Schwab Elementary has an excellent principal, Mr. Mike Janicki, who is known for his strong leadership and his genuine interest in the welfare of Schwab Elementary School students. Schwab Elementary has 640 K through 8 students. There are over 60 staff which includes teachers, instructional assistants, and other support personnel, as well as many concerned parents.

What will happen at Schwab Elementary School as a result of the Children First Plan?
The Children First Program will bring in social services, recreation, parenting education, substance abuse prevention and mental health treatment, among other things, to Schwab Elementary. We need to hear from parents, teachers, students and neighbors as to what services or programs they think will help their students succeed. Those ideas form the basis for what types of things are offered at Schwab Elementary.

Most of the services will be offered on site at Schwab Elementary School and some will be offered at the Winton Terrace. Some will be offered during the school day, whereas others may be offered after school or on Saturdays, depending on what works best for the students and families of Schwab Elementary.

What will make Children First a success at Schwab Elementary?
Even though there will be a lot of programs offered at Schwab, the only way we can be sure of success is through the participation of parents, students, teachers, community residents and local businesses. We need your ideas, your creativity, your assistance and your commitment to improving the welfare of the children in your community.

How can I get involved with the Children First Plan?
You can become involved by contacting the Schwab Elementary Children First Coordinator at 513.853.4285 ext. 21. They will be happy to hear your suggestions and let you know how you can get involved in this exciting program.

Family First Programs and Services Offered

Department of Health: To provide all medical assistance, monitor student medications and immunizations. Nurse Practitioner to provide physical exams as needed. Collaborative with Children Hospital for Asthma program. Computer program that allows doctor to examine students on site at school from hospital to decrease and impact absent rates.

Mental Health Services East: Special Education Team primarily, and representative for I.A.T committee.

Family Services - Truancy Court: Prevention Truancy Court Program on site, Attendance Intervention, Home Visits, Assessments, Referrals for services to assist and decrease truancy.

Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program of Cincinnati, Inc. - Brother to Brothers Mentoring Group and Ladies First Group: Prevention Education Social Skills Groups for males and females. Program focuses on specific issues regarding substance abuse, risky behaviors, and decision-making that leads to forced lifestyle changes.

Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program of Cincinnati, Inc. - Seeking Solutions Inc.: Groups for males that need more intense social skills group processing, and individual sessions.

Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program of Cincinnati, Inc. - Talbert House

Suma (Services for Mothers and Adolescents) - Abstinence Education: Abstinence Education and Facts on today's youth in making good life style decisions.

Suma (Services for Mothers and Adolescents) - Alcoholism Council: Kids Connection are Groups that targets 2nd through 6th grade children of alcoholic parent(s). The group helps students deal with the issues that they are faced with in the home and to develop coping skills, along with being able to have support to communicate their feelings and become educated about the disease.

Talbert House: Drug Screening/Assessment, Referrals, Staff Education.

Cancer Family Care: Support groups for students and their families who have issues around grief and bereavement. Crisis support also available for students, families, and Teachers. Staff consultation, or in-services available upon request or need.

Beechacres - Conflict Resolution/Anger Management/Peer Mediation: Students, 7th and 8th graders, are trained to hold a peer mediation session to help resolve conflicts between their peers. In addition, students are involved in groups that help them process conflict resolution techniques enabling them to develop skills in anger management.

Nutrition Council - Food and Fitness: A six-week after school fun, fitness, and social skills activity program, which involves students preparing and tasting healthy foods. This enabled students to develop cooking skills while learning about nutrition and physical activity.

Citizen's Committee on Youth - Rites of Passage

Girls on the Run: An after school program for FUN, Fitness and Social Skills for pre-teens on how to make healthy decisions, resolve conflict, and understand the value of getting along. Ciriculum includes running/walking, workouts and games taht teach specific life skills.

Boy Scouts of America – Learning for Life Program: An all class program that teaches social skills for students to use better judgement, and how to accept responsibility for their own behaviors.

Summer Arts and Enrichment Program: A five wekk program that utilizes weekly art project to assist students in being creative, thought provoking, and how to respect differences. In addition, participate in field trips on a weekly basis to gain more exposure for life long experiences and opportunities.

Winners Walk Tall Program: A character building program for youth that participate in a collaborative effort using Aiken High School students that are trained to teach our primary students to build their character to live productive lives.

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