FAMILY ALLIES
BFF’s Family Allies Project is a mentoring program designed to benefit families with young children in Lexington. The program utilizes a relationship-based model that strives to foster meaningful connections between volunteers and families with young children desiring additional support and guidance.
The primary goal of Family Allies is to empower families to succeed in creating the life they envision as best for themselves and their children. A secondary goal is to engage volunteers in relationships with individuals of different backgrounds, groups or circumstances that will enhance life experience and inspire them to make positive impacts on the lives of young children in our community.
Parents of young children facing challenging circumstances (poverty, substance use, trauma, mental health problems, etc.) may certainly benefit from an array of local services, but often lack more natural supports in their lives that can provide encouragement and gentle guidance. Through a consistent, reliable relationship with a BFF Volunteer Ally, parents will gain support, learn about the importance of the early years of life to their child’s brain development, and receive guidance promoting high interactions between parent and child to foster learning and readiness for kindergarten. One major emphasis will be on reading to the child, providing books to the family and trips to the local library.
Interested in learning more? Email us at BluegrassFamiliesFirst@gmail.com or call 203.895.2456.
The project is funded by Kiwanis and private donations.
The Family Allies Extension Program
This pilot program was established as a result of talks with Melanie Tyner-Wilson, the 2023 Jean Sabharwal Awardee and long-time advocate for people with Autism. Bluegrass Families First aims to provide support and empower families of young children showing signs of or diagnosed with an intellectual or developmental disorder.
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Read more about this exciting new program below!