Building Families is housed in Clarion at the Wright County Professional Building. Thus, the Bee Inspired Program and other Building Families services have been following protocol for ALL Wright County Offices since mid-March. The offices (as of May 27, 2020) still remain CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC! However, our services have not stopped. Effective March 17th, until further notice, Building Families programming staff (including the Bee Inspired Program Coordinator) have been working remotely from home. Individuals/Clients are asked to make arrangements in advance, or schedule an appointment; for the safety of employees, clients, & the public.
To get in contact with programming/services that are funded by Building Families:
Phone: 515.602.6371 (follow extension prompts)
Visit our website at buildingfamilies.net
Or contact via social media/email:
Building Families Early Childhood Area
Executive Director-
McKinley Bailey at mbailey@co.wright.ia.us
Parent Connection HHW-
Angela Wesselink at awesselink@co.wright.ia.us
Bee Inspired CAPP Program-
Tiffany Larson at tlarson@co.wright.ia.us
(Bee Inspired Program serves Franklin, Hamilton, & Wright Counties)
Early Childhood Education Advisor through Building Families & Family Resource Center-
Amy Shannon at ashannon@carrollfrc.org
There are additional programs that are funded through Building Families that are following their own individual agency/county protocols.You can contact each HOPES Program at each offfice—
Hamilton County Public Health, Wright County Public Health, Humboldt County Public Health.
Questions on child care? You can contact McKinley and Amy, or we are referring to CCR&R at https://iowaccrr.org/families/ or
Child Care Resource & Referral of Northwest Iowa.
Building Families is a non-profit that provides funding & supports to quality programs and services in Hamilton, Humboldt, and Wright County that develop healthy, independent and successful children and families. If we aren’t able to assist, people can reach out to additional services offered in the surrounding counties. Some are listed in the RESOURCE DIRECTORY, which can be found at communitylinksforfamilies.org. In addition, the Bee Inspired Program Coordinator serves Franklin County.
Remember to stay connected, while practicing social distancing. We are working remotely, but are here to help children, families, & communities however we can. Please reach out if you need resources & information, or support. There is so much uncertainty right now, including how the summer activities will take place or how the school year may look for schools, educators, students, & communities as a whole in the Fall. We are doing our best to share buzzworthy tidbits, tips, tools, & other resources on our social media platforms (Building Families is on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram; Bee Inspired Program is on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram; and Parent Connection is on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram) to help individuals stay connected. We will be working on our continued updates to the Building Families and Bee Inspired websites.
We have shared health and service-related and youth development info, ACES/trauma-informed care/social and emotional support info, adolescent sexual health topics, awareness months, and more ideas/topics from our collaborative partners in the serving area.
In addition, below are some local, state, & national resources that may be useful to YOU, a friend, a family member, a youth, or someone else in your community regarding community, health, & mental health resources. They include the CICS 24/7 Crisis Line & Warm Line information, as well as info on yourlifeiowa.org. Here is that info for you:
1. CICS (serving 11 counties in North/Central Iowa) offers the Warm Line, which is now available 7 days per week from 2-10pm. The 24/7 Crisis line & mobile crisis unit are still available. It utilizes the statewide crisis line (Your Life Iowa) for crisis calls, & to dispatch their Eyerly Ball mobile crisis teams. Please use or share with others!
Call: (855) 581-8111
Text: (855) 895-8398
Chat online: https://yourlifeiowa.org/
Note: Foundation2 does have interpreting capabilities
2. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach also offers a free service connecting Iowans with information to better navigate through life circumstances. Individuals can call 1-800-447-1985 (interpretation services available), visit their website to live-chat with a stress counselor, or email an expert regarding their issues. www.extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcern/.
Local ISU Extension & Outreach offices may be closed to the public in all counties. However, they are still available remotely. Below is their contact information. They are all posting useful resources & ideas on their social media.
Hamilton County ISU Extension & Outreach is available by phone (515-832-9597), email (xhamilton@iastate.edu), online (extension.iastate.edu/hamilton) or on Facebook messenger.
Franklin County is able to take your calls and respond to email. Many of their resources can be found online at their website www.extension.iastate.edu/franklin. They can be reached at 641-456-4811.
Wright County can be reached by phone at (515-532-3453) or email (xwright@iastate.edu).
Humboldt County can call 515-332-2201 or email Kim Axne: kaxne@iastate.edu Kiersten Beilke: kbeilk@iastate.edu Lexi Seuntjens: seuntjen@iastate.edu.
3. Building Families created a Google Drive with Mental Health & Community Service Resources shared by providers in multiple counties. (CICS for Hamilton & Franklin Counties, and County Social Services for Wright & Humboldt Counties. During this time, please call your local county office for assistance, and any other up-to-date information. Some locations are gradually opening to appointment only.
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1tt8yXPz29Vn_TO6wRh-aFY3yhm7Nt9NA?fbclid=IwAR0rZjLqe2ZpQ9j2rek9hkVE2RXcnSUr_0HQInR3ik7Ds1Xg0_OLdmxSnGk.
We want to highlight some of the Hamilton County resources specifically. Listed on the sheet are several programs/services available at the Hamilton County Community Services Building (including CICS and General Assistance), YSS of Hamilton County, Van Diest Medical Center (including Senior Life Solutions), Berryhill Center for Mental Health and Integrated Behavioral Healthcare through UnityPoint Health – Fort Dodge, Children & Families of Iowa, Families First, Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc. of Hamilton County, & Hamilton County Public Health, & Community & Family Resources. Additional resources available that serve Hamilton County and the surrounding area are Community Health Center of Fort Dodge, Youth Shelter Care of North Central Iowa.
Iowa Specialty Hospital has posted tips and resources on their social media. In addition, individuals can connect with the Mental Health/Counseling Team at: https://www.iowaspecialtyhospital.com/services/counseling-and-therapy-services?fbclid=IwAR3fe3a164RItA94JQKSI7hFcfuzO09KgwBcnicI8k_KKJMLX8138Y0E2N
Additional resources can be found in the Community Resource Directory (for Hamilton, Humboldt, Wright, & Webster Counties), offered by Building Families (buildingfamilies.net). It is available in English & Spanish, & will be updated this summer. The link is communitylinksforfamilies.org. The resource directory for the Franklin County service area is being updated, & will be shared by the Franklin County Family Focus Group.
Iowa & National Resources:
NAMI Central Iowa
Mental Health First Aid USA
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline ‘1-800-273-TALK (8255)’
4. Here is some food pantry info for Hamilton, Humboldt, Wright, & Franklin Counties. Note that some locations may have new safety proceduresfor distribution in place, or have changed their days/times. You may want to call ahead. https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1ZDG6qYIDlt4D1I1yHV042QNNYVs4nW5I?fbclid=IwAR0T5iBHu-xRaiWjpVR-QEsabzKNIIshOiPo6z6NeE3Ep0o0NOAao4NvksA
5. An article for supporting a child’s well-being: https://www.childtrends.org/publications/resources-for-supporting-childrens-emotional-well-being-during-the-covid-19-pandemic?fbclid=IwAR15QX40uMv1_rRKfnNFt0GroeTlXysvZMy6lbw_rctQv3fgtosmcSmcScE
6. CCR&R (Child Care Resource & Referral was kind enough to provide this resource for all things child care! The flyer contains contact numbers & links to current resources for families, businesses and the community as a whole to be aware of child care needs. https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1ZLpwQB3DJ7V9nFDspEHIyYNeZQ0ELR6d&fbclid=IwAR2KZTIHrxtZtKgpsW37p7ngOtQ-8pZ3wvqc2ztdFv-LLw04UApS3f-aUC8
Additional Resources/Updates from local services, agencies, & other providers:
7. Power Up YOUth (in Hamilton County) is sharing mindfulness and other resources on their Facebook Page. If you need any other ACES/Trauma-Informed Care Resources, touch base with Kathy Getting. She has connections to some individuals with resources to share.
If there are additional resources you are looking for, let us know. Building Families helps to coordinate a group of providers (serving prenatal to geriatrics) in a multi-county area. We have the 4-county resource directory that will be updated this summer (so some things might not be 100% up-to-date). In the meantime, please refer to: communitylinksforfamilies.org. It is available in English & Spanish.
Schools are starting to wrap up their online/distance learning. Which means, summer “vacay”…& time to play! No matter what you do, play it safe. Get the Facts, Start Early, and Talk openly and often (with youth, parents/caregivers, your partner, your peers, your healthcare providers, & other supports). Although it may not be typical break, and have some new safety adaptations…Make it a happy, fun, safe, & healthy summer to remember! The Bee Inspired Program & Building Families are here to offer programming and services, including Parent Cafés, Let’s Talk House Parties, & other activities via virtual/online formats. #education #prevention #awareness #access #beeinspiredFHW
