Community Partners

 

Unfortunately, many families are just one step away from having a household in crisis.

When the car breaks down, the baby won’t stop crying or mom can’t wrap her head around the implications of her child’s new medical diagnosis, a parent’s stress level rises. Studies show this can lead to child abuse and neglect.

Community Partners answers this need by providing short-term case management services to families in crisis, connecting them to resources in our community. They assist in resolving the situation so the family can maintain stability and security.

Iris Family Support Center offers Community Partners services in these counties:

  • Region 3 - Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall, St. Joseph

  • Region 4 - Allen, DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Whitley

  • Region 6 - Cass, Fulton, Howard, Huntington, Miami, Wabash

Image of parents blowing bubbles with child.
Woman taking notes as she works with family

    • Families with children in the home, ages 17 or younger.

    • Families not receiving services through Healthy Families, on probation or in the Department of Child Services.

    • Community agencies including DCS, schools, hospitals and social service agencies refer families to Iris Family Support Center.

    • Call Iris to request services for your family. We’ll ask a few simple questions to make sure Community Partners is the right fit for you. If we can help, we’ll then refer you to one of our partners to begin working with your family.

    • All services are provided free of charge. This program is funded by the Department of Child Services.

    • Community Partners will come to you. No need to make an office visit.

    • Iris Family Support Center works with local social service providers in each county Community Partners is offered to ensure you always have the best services available to help your family.

 

Why should I call Community Partners?

 
Stressed family around a kitchen table

Financial Strain

Families undergoing housing crises, pending evictions, and homelessness. Parents searching for employment and in need of guidance building a resume.

Girl looking upset as parents are on the phone

Mental Health Concerns

Family members experiencing mental health problems, or parents feeling overwhelmed managing their children and their home. Children could be in crisis because of parents’ job loss, death in the family, or divorce.

Woman hugging child.

Safety

Families struggling with domestic violence, or children with ongoing truancy and behavior problems which affect the entire family.

 

Community Resource List

 
 

As families encounter challenges and questions, finding the right place to go can be the first obstacle. Iris Family Support Center’s Community Resource List helps families overcome that obstacle by having an easy to search database of the resource in our area.

This project is supported by funding from the Indiana Department of Child Services and its Community Partners for Child Safety program. Iris provides Community Partners for Child Safety services throughout 16 counties in Northeast and North Central Indiana. You can learn more about Community Partners by clicking here.

You can find the list by clicking the button below. Similar printable PDF versions of this list for each county are available at the bottom of the page that’s linked below.

Parents playing with their child in a field next to the Indiana state flag

Partner Agencies

Iris Family Support Center proudly provides Community Partners for Child Safety services throughout DCS Regions 3, 4, and 6 through a contract awarded by the State of Indiana. A core part of this service is partnering with local organizations to support children and families. We subcontract services to the following partner agencies:

 
Logo of Iris's Community Partners subcontractors
 
Funding for Iris's Community Partners program is provided in part by the State of Indiana through their Community Partners for Child Safety program.