Transparency
REDDING, Calif. — Launched in November 2022, the Family Wellness Program has been a lifeline for families navigating developmental challenges. Funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), this two-year pilot program was one of two programs statewide, with Far Northern Regional Center (FNRC) spearheading its implementation in our region.
“The family wellness program was a project we launched…offered to all 21 regional centers by the Department of Developmental Services,” said Chere Sullivan, Associate Director of Client Services for the Children’s Division at FNRC.
Designed to remove barriers and foster community, the program offered 12-week sessions for families across three counties—Shasta, Tehama, and Butte. Each session included a family-style dinner, childcare, and therapeutic support, all provided free of charge. Families also received $15 gas cards to ease transportation costs.
“Each night, the parents broke into a therapeutic counseling group, facilitated by a licensed clinician…and children receiving FNRC services participated in socialization skills training as a part of the child care component with their siblings each week,” Sullivan explained. The program supported not just children ages 0 to 5 connected to regional center services but their siblings of all ages as well.
The initiative served over 200 families across four communities: Redding, Red Bluff, Chico, and Oroville. Sessions were offered in English, Spanish, and Hmong to meet the diverse needs of participants. “We’re extremely proud of that,” Sullivan said.
In Oroville, the program tailored its offerings to the local Hmong community, partnering with a preschool, an independent clinician, and culturally relevant food services. Similarly, in Shasta and Butte counties, collaborations with organizations such as the Shasta County Office of Education and Family First ensured the program met community-specific needs.
The program emphasized socialization and skill-building for children. “We worked on those social skills with a planned curriculum…using utilizing the participating siblings as typically developing peers,” Sullivan noted.
Parents often found the group sessions most beneficial. “People really…became aware of their needs or how they might benefit from counseling after they got involved in the therapeutic groups,” Sullivan shared.
Looking to the future, Sullivan expressed hope for expanding the program to support families with children older than 5. “Families with six- and seven-year-olds…could benefit from a program, too,” she said.
As the Family Wellness Program continues, its impact resonates through testimonials from participating families, available in a video produced by Compass on behalf of FNRC.
“It doesn’t get any better than the parents describing their experience,” Sullivan said.
We have launched our first 2025 sessions this week in Chico, Red Bluff and Redding. For more information about the Family Wellness Program and to view the testimonial video, visit the FNRC website at https://www.farnorthernrc.org/.
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