Dakota Family Solutions

DAKOTA FAMILY SOLUTIONS CONTINUES TO OFFER A NUMBER OF SERVICES FOR LOCAL FAMILIES, INCLUDING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES/GROUPS, EDUCATIONAL/PREVENTATIVE RESOURCES/EVENTS, ALONG WITH SOME MENTORING. A POINT OF SPECIAL EMPHASIS IS STILL ON TEEN MOMS/YOUNG MOMS/MOMS (ALL AGES)/SINGLE MOTHERS/WOMEN {ALL AGES) IN OUR COMMUNITY. IN 2022, DAKOTA FAMILY SOLUTIONS PROVIDED 3 HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES FOR CREDIT. 4 TEEN MOMS PARTICIPATED IN AT LEAST ONE OF THESE CLASSES AND 3 COMPLETED ONE CLASS EACH WHILE 1 COMPLETED TWO CLASSES WE OFFERED. THESE CLASSES FOCUSED ON PREGNANCY, LABOR AND DELIVERY, INFANT CARE, PARENTING AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. THIS INCLUDED A TOTAL OF 87 MEETINGS.(45 SPRING/13 SUMMER/29 FALL) FOR ALL THREE CLASSES. DFS WAS ABLE TO TEACH WITHIN MY REACH, A CURRICULUM COVERING HEALTHY AND SAFE RELATIONSHIPS, TO FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE HEALTH STUDENTS AT THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL. WE WERE ALLOWED 7 DAYS OF TEACHING WITH 4 CLASSES EACH DAY. 109 STUDENTS WERE IN ATTENDANCE FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE 28 CLASS PERIODS WE TAUGHT. BECAUSE OF INTEREST IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, 4 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS JOINED A WITHIN MY REACH LUNCH GROUP ATTENDING ONE OR MORE OF 8 SESSIONS WE FACILITATED IN THE SPRING. DFS ALSO OFFERED YOUNG MOMS (AGES 18-22) A WEEKLY SUPPORT GROUP IN THE FALL. THE BOOK BOUNDARIES WAS COVERED. WE HAD 3 YOUNG MOMS PARTICIPATE IN ONE OR MORE OF THESE 8 MEETINGS AND 2 CHILDREN WERE PRESENT DURING ONE OR MORE OF THEM AS WELL. ANOTHER MOM'S SUPPORT GROUP (PREVIOUSLY CALLED YOUNG MOMS BUT CHANGED TO MOMS AS THEY AGED OUT OF THE YOUNG CATEGORY) WAS PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR (12 SPRING/11 FALL WEEKLY MEETINGS). THEY LEARNED ABOUT SAFE RELATIONSHIPS AND HOW TO IDENTIFY AND MANAGE STRESS IN POSITIVE WAYS. 26 WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN ONE OR MORE OF THESE 33 MEETINGS AND DFS PROVIDED CHILDCARE/PROVISIONS FOR THEIR 31 CHILDREN DURING ONE OR MORE OF THEM AS WELL. 29 PLAYGROUP SESSIONS WERE OFFERED FOR MOMS AND THEIR CHILDREN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHERE MOMS COULD BUILD CONNECTIONS AND THEIR CHILDREN COULD PLAY TOGETHER. WE HAD 11 MOMS AND 21 CHILDREN PARTICIPATE IN ONE OR MORE OF THESE SESSIONS. A SMALL BIBLE STUDY WAS OFFERED IN THE SUMMER. 6 MOMS ATTENDED ONE OR MORE OF THE 3 WEEKLY MEETINGS AND DFS PROVIDED CHILDCARE FOR 10 CHILDREN FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE MEETINGS. A WEEKLY SUPPORT GROUP WAS PROVIDED FOR SINGLE MOMS (13 SPRING/12 FALL SESSIONS) THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. WE HAD 15 SINGLE MOMS ATTEND ONE OR MORE OF THESE 25 MEETINGS WHICH COVERED BOUNDARIES AND UNDERSTANDING CHANGES THAT CAN BRING HEALING. 16 CHILDREN WERE PRESENT FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE SESSIONS WHICH INCLUDED A MEAL. IN 2022, DFS OFFERED 1 CLASS ON LINE AND 2 CLASSES IN-PERSON FOR COMMUNITY WOMEN. THERE WAS A TOTAL OF (21 SPRING/12 FALL) WEEKLY MEETINGS. 39 WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN ONE OR MORE OF THESE 33 MEETINGS. THEY LEARNED ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF GOD, HOW TO LIVE WELL WITH HEALTHY BOUNDARIES AND STUDIED CHANGES THAT PROMOTE HEALING IN RELATIONSHIPS. CHILDCARE WAS PROVIDED FOR 8 OF THEIR CHILDREN AS NEEDED. DFS PARTNERED WITH A LOCAL CHURCH, A SMALL GROUP OF WOMEN AND THE AREA RECREATION CENTER WHO HOSTED 3 OF OUR 4 EVENTS FOR THE EMBER WOMEN AND CHILDREN WE SERVE. WE PAID FOR USE OF THE FACILITY FOR THE OTHER EVENT. 20 MOMS AND 37 KIDS PARTICIPATED (OR WERE CARED FOR WHILE THEIR MOTHER PARTICIPATED) AT ONE OR MORE OF THESE 4 EVENTS/OPPORTUNITIES CREATED JUST FOR THEM. 9 VOLUNTEERS AND 3 STAFF MEMBERS WERE INVOLVED IN ORGANIZING AND IMPLEMENTING THESE EVENTS.AT CHRISTMAS, DFS PARTNERED WITH A LOCAL CHURCH, A PRIVATE SCHOOL, A COLLEGE, SOME LOCAL BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PROVIDE BABY ITEMS, TOYS, VARIOUS THINGS FOR ADULT WOMEN AND GIFT CARDS TO HELP RESTOCK OUR BABY STEPS BOUTIQUE. THIS IS A SMALL 'STORE' WHERE WE HAVE THINGS AVAILABLE FOR THE MOTHERS TO 'SHOP FOR' WITH POINTS THEY EARN BY ATTENDING OUR PROGRAMMING. NO MONIES ARE EXCHANGED, IT IS SIMPLY A VOLUNTEER RUN INCENTIVE FOR THE WOMEN/CHILDREN WE SERVE. WE ALSO PROVIDED ABOUT 35 ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING SESSIONS FOR WOMEN WE SERVE. A TOTAL OF 18 WOMEN MET WITH DFS STAFF FOR ONE OR MORE OF THESE SESSIONS. IN 2022, A TOTAL OF ABOUT 91 WOMEN WERE SERVED THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS/EVENTS, INCLUDING ABOUT 49 CHILDREN WHO WERE OFTEN INVOLVED WITH SERVICES AS WELL. DFS ORGANIZED A COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOCAL RECREATION CENTER AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY LIBRARY TO PROVIDE CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR ABOUT 97 RESIDENTS AT THE LOCAL NURSING HOME. THIS WAS OUR THIRD TIME DOING THIS PARTICULAR OUTREACH. IN 2022, DFS PLANNED AND IMPLEMENTED 3 EVENTS FOR OUR AUTISM FAMILIES. WE HAD A SPRING FLING, A FAMILY CAMP TALK-ALOT SUMMER BASH AND AN AUTISM FROZEN CHRISTMAS PARTY. IN TOTAL, WE HAD 20 FAMILIES OF CHILDREN/ADULTS WITH AUTISM: 29 ADULTS (2 W/AUTISM) AND 41 CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE AT ONE OR MORE OF THE 3 AUTISM EVENTS WE HOSTED IN 2022. WE HAD A TOTAL OF 36 VOLUNTEERS AND 3 STAFF MEMBERS HELP WITH THESE EVENTS. IN THE SPRING OF 2022, WE CONTINUED OUR FREE TUTORING SERVICE AT THE LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOL TWICE A WEEK. 13 STUDENTS ATTENDED ONE OR MORE OF THE 34 SESSIONS OFFERED BY 2 STAFF MEMBERS. 1 VOLUNTEER COVERED ONE SESSION. TUTORING WAS NOT OFFERED IN THE FALL OF 2022. ALL OF OUR SERVICES WERE OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE.