The Family Place Services to expand in Rich County

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  June 5, 2019.  Ronda Menlove, Garden City and Esterlee Molyeux, Executive Director of Family Place Services told County Commissioners that they wanted to expand their services to Rich County.

 

Family Place Services is a nonprofit started in 1983 with centers in Smithfield, Hyrum and Logan.  Their mission is to strengthen families and protect children.  

With a trained staff of over 70 people, they offer therapy, education, parenting classes, home visits, and children’s classes. 

If there is an emergency in the family and no one to care for a child, the Kid’s Place is available 24/7.  A parent can bring the child there to be looked after, or it can be planned as weekly care for a family with a chronically stressful situation it or just respite care.  Emergency care is from newborns to 11 years old but all other services, including therapy, are for kids of all ages. 

Former Legislator, Menlove, has obtained funding for a needs assessment in Rich County.  They will be working with the Rich County Schools and others and will hire a liaison person in Rich County to do the needs assessment and then create programs.  Family Place Services is getting a "wrapped" bus so that they can bring educational classes to Rich County.  They work with all religious groups. They have partnered with the Garden City Library.

Menlove said she funded a lot of the services for other counties as a legislator and has seen the positive effect on the counties they serve, so this has become a priority for her. 

Senator Christensen was approached and gave them two years of funding to help Rich County and they want to raise awareness of their services.  Their dream is to have a center here with a place to take children when needed.  Right now they are just getting started.

Commissioner Sim Weston asked if could they deal with a community trauma.  Family Place would send therapists out in a situation like that.

Commissioner  Bill Cox said that each community is so different that it will be a challenge.  But that perhaps the school mailing lists could be used for a survey of people with children.  The schools may be able to send out the survey since that list is private so could not be shared.

The Garden City Library offered, with their help, a class on what to do in the summer with the kids and there were five families that participated.  They offered a class on mental health too. 

They have met with Randolph, Garden City and Laketown City Councils.  They need to have the County Sheriff involved for help with abuse. They have specialized therapist who can help the child or the family.

Every  month they do free family events and would love to do a monthly activity in Rich County too.  Cox suggested that the PTO be involved.  The Rich County library could be involved as well as the Garden City Library.  “They both have great summer programs,” he said.