Friends of Children

Friends of Children formed in 1999 as the LexLinc Family Safety Task Force. In 2002, it merged with the Community Collaboration for Children, which secured funding for the group's activities. The merged group changed its name to Friends of Children. The task force meets on the first Wednesday of each month in the afternoon. Friends of Children is charged with creating a community-wide agenda focused on the safety and permanence of families and children in Fayette County. The task force is a forum to integrate services, educate service providers and modify policies and procedures so that public and private organizations can work together better. This group is particularly interested in using the Comprehensive Family Services model to build community collaboration, such as implementation of Family-to-Family and the creation of the 40505 zip code initiative in partnership with the Community Partnership for Protecting Children.

Friends of Children (Community Collaboration for Children) responded to network changes that regional restructuring in the Dept. for Community Based Services brought. It explored better interface with the larger multi-county region of which Fayette is now a part. While joining the new bimonthly regional meetings, Friends of Children continued monthly meetings as a Fayette partnership. The group addressed the challenge faced by childcare centers with the state payment system and drafted an advocacy letter to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services relaying the urgency of resolving the backlog of payments to childcare centers. FOC advocated for legislation (such as the Bonnie Bill and Blue Ribbon Panel recommendations) and awarded and monitored FOC mini-grants.

Prevent Child Abuse Month

Friends of Children assist the Department for Community Based Services with advocacy and program support in child protection. A signature event for Friends of Children is the annual Prevent Child Abuse Month that takes place in April. Prevent Child Abuse Month typically includes a candle light vigil at the courthouse, a resource fair and an appreciation breakfast for 300 to 400 people where Friends of Children present annual awards for protecting children.  In prior years, LexLinc organized these events, including coordination among event chairs, raising sponsorships, organizing supplies, equipment, media invitations, contracts and programs.  In 2009, LexLinc began serving as a fiscal agent for Prevent Child Abuse Month activities instead of having a coordinating role.