In 1991, in partnership with The Bridge Family Center, the Charter Oak Academy established the Family Resource Center to support the healthy development of families in the community. The Family Resource Center offers an integrated system of family support services that enhance parenting, promote family involvement with the schools, and help children to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. The FRC serves about 925 children and parents in West Hartford each year.
Deborah Zipkin, M.S., has been the Director of the Family Resource Center at Charter Oak Academy since 1994. Robin Drago, Parent Educator, was selected as 2005 Parent Educator of the Year by the Parents as Teachers National Center. Kim Townsend joined the FRC as a Parent Educator in 2007. All staff members at the FRC, including the youth counselor and administrative assistant, work as a team to help families build strong relationships with the school and nurture the healthy development of their children.
The Family Resource Center at Charter Oak Academy has been selected as a "School of the 21st Century-National Demonstration Site" by the Yale University Zigler Center for Child Development. In September 1999, the Family Resource Center was selected by
Working Mother Magazine as one of the ten best programs in the country for working parents.
The Family Resource Center currently offers programs at three other West Hartford
schools—Florence E. Smith School of Science and Technology, Wolcott School, and Webster Hill School—as well as at the Hillcrest Neighborhood Center.
In fiscal year 2012, 679 children and 241 parents in West Hartford were served by the following FRC programs:
For School-Age ChildrenFor Parents and Caregivers
For Young ChildrenClick here for volunteer opportunities!
Family Resource Centers
