“Families for Success” Launches in Bound Brook
A program has launched in Bound Brook to help immigrant families facing hardships to become more successful in the community. “Families for Success” works with Somerset County agencies, nonprofits, faith communities, and schools to combine the key elements of education, mental wellness, and employment into a comprehensive program uniquely tailored to each individual family’s needs.
Families for Success emphasizes a “whole family approach,” recognizing that each member of a family needs to succeed for the whole family to thrive and better integrate into the community. As an example, one parent might need assistance obtaining employment, the other parent might need tutoring in English, and the children might need after-school care. The program is based on a model called “Families for Literacy” in Jersey City, and advocated for by the Bound Brook Presbyterian Church with the idea to have one program that immigrant families can turn to for all of their needs.
Middle Earth, a youth development non-profit, is the lead agency of the Families for Success program. Safe+Sound Somerset, which provides services to survivors of domestic abuse, provides a case manager who will meet with each family to establish goals and connect them with appropriate resources. The resources, provided by numerous community organizations, depend on each individual family’s needs but could include after-school programs, legal advocacy, employment readiness, financial literacy, health counseling, tutoring, literacy workshops, and more. The family simply needs to be willing to work toward their goals.
The partnership among agencies displayed through “Families for Success” is a reflection of how committed the Bound Brook community is to helping every family prosper. The program accepts referrals from any agency or school. For more information, call Middle Earth at 908-725-7223.