Calendar of Events | Communities In Schools

Connecting Makes All the Difference

Mental illness and suicide are pervasive in Georgia. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in children ages 10 – 14, according to the CDC. Georgia’s rate was 2.6 per 100,000 in 2024, higher than the last recorded national rate of 2.3 per 100,000 for this age group. Georgia’s suicide rate for teens 15 – 19 also increased to 11.9 per 100,000 in 2024—the third-highest rate ever and a worsening trend since 2022.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Please recommit to encouraging open dialogue about mental health struggles and suicide, so those who are struggling know their communities are standing behind them encouraging them to ask for help. Let’s also help our communities recognize the risk factors and warning signs of suicide and remind them to check in on friends and family to help combat feelings of isolation and hopelessness and connect them to the right support that can make all the difference.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers a Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Toolkit that provides resources, promotes evidence-based suicide prevention strategies, and share messages of hope and healing.

Suicide prevention awareness is a year-round priority for us. Let’s continue to learn from each other and dare ourselves to find the most efficient, informed way to work toward measurably better outcomes for our children, families, and communities.

Be well, be safe, and stay connected.

Meriwether County Family Connection Celebrates a High-Five Moment for Literacy
Meriwether County Family Connection brought community leaders and families together this summer for the Get Meriwether Reading Summit 2025—High Five for Literacy—to celebrate five years of progress. But this summit was about more than literacy. It was about building a thriving future for all families.

Bacon County Family Connection Hosts 30th Annual Day of the Child
Bacon County Family Connection celebrated its 30th Annual Day of the Child event this year. Coordinator Laura Crozier said the event was conceived as “a resource fair disguised as a kids’ event.” The event helps Family Connection work toward the goal of increasing access to needed resources and services to children and families in Bacon, where 31.1% of children live in poverty, compared to 18.8% in Georgia.

Emanuel County Family Connection Assesses Progress
In Emanuel County, the focus of Family Connection is on the improvement of literacy and nutrition for our community’s children and their families. One program that relates directly to literacy is the annual Scavenger Hunt for Books, which is held during the summer and highlights local businesses and agencies for the book giveaway.

Terry Edwards Connects Her Harris County Community
Since relocating to Georgia 21 years ago, Harris County Family Connection Executive Director Terry Edwards has worked with people with mental health issues and developmental disabilities and has counseled jail inmates and the homeless. Four years ago, she landed at Family Connection. Her strength, she believes, is the ability to bring together community partners from all walks of life.

Georgia Family Connection Partnership’s work to support strong Collaboratives continues with our Community Partnerships for Supporting Youth Cohort, which is focused on making real progress on reducing the number of students disconnected from school and employment opportunities. Through a Social Network Analysis, the cohort Collaboratives in Ben Hill, Crawford, DeKalb, Hall, Jenkins, Macon, Mitchell, Quitman, Treutlen, and Worth counties received a detailed report detailing their connections, strengths, and growth opportunities.

The study captured 184 network members across 10 counties, with 89 active cohort members represented. The size and makeup of networks varied widely, ranging from four to 50 members. Collectively, the counties showed more than 1,500 relationships, with partners connecting most frequently once a quarter (436) or once a month (340).

Trust and value ratings were strongest among this cohort’s strategy team members, who scored higher on shared vision (3.71) and reliability (3.76) than other partners. These findings point to exciting opportunities: What strategies or structures could encourage more frequent connections and build on the trust already present in your Collaborative? Is it more effective for your Collaborative to involve many members in strategy teams, or to focus on a few highly engaged, and well-connected individuals? How might different approaches shape your outcomes?

To learn more about how to conduct a Social Network Analysis in your county, contact Rebekah Hudgins of the ERA Team.

GPEE’s Ten-Minute Top Ten
This policy-focused podcast features education experts’ perspectives on topics highlighted in GPEE’s annual Top Ten Issues to Watch publication. Listen Now

New Quality Rated Family Support Call Center
Families can call 1-877-ALL-GA-KIDS to get help finding quality child care and early learning resources—all from one integrated support team.

October Farm to School Month
Check out the free toolkit with resources for this year’s campaign, including free apple-themed lesson plans, activities, cafeteria recipes, and more. Access Now

National Recovery Month
Use this toolkit to learn more about what the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is doing to support people in recovery and how to share this information. Access Now

Hancock County
Population: 8,588
Children living in poverty: 44.1%, compared to 18.8% in Georgia
3rd grade students achieving Proficient Learner or above on Milestones ELA assessment: 10%, compared to 38.7% in Georgia

Family Connection-Communities In Schools of Hancock County Executive Director Regina Butts shares the local perspective.

Rising to the Challenge
Through my role as director for the past 10 years, I’ve been challenged by persistent, overwhelming issues facing our community, including lack of access to health care, widespread food insecurity, and generational poverty. Poverty is the root cause that compounds other challenges—affecting families’ ability to access quality health care, obtain nutritious food, and create stable home environments. Reducing child poverty is at the core of our work, because children are more likely to succeed when families have stable income and resources. We aim to disrupt the cycle and build a stronger, healthier community through workforce development, educational support, and resource coordination. Reading on grade level by third grade is another critical indicator of long-term success. We’re working to strengthen early literacy through community partnerships, school readiness programs, and family engagement activities designed to ensure children are primed for school and thrive once they get there. Being part of the Georgia Family Connection statewide network and involving partners has strengthened our work. In the words of a board member, “Collaboration and bringing partners to the table is the key to success.” We have dedicated partners, but we need more community participation. One of our goals is to engage the new generation of Hancock County citizens in making a difference.

A Recipe for Success
My three main ingredients in a recipe for successful collaboration are a shared vision and goals, trust and respect, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. We can only succeed when all partners have a clear and unified purpose. A shared vision defines why the Collaborative exists and what it hopes to achieve. Having common goals ensures that we’re working toward the same outcome, reducing conflict and confusion. Trust and respect are the foundation of any partnership. Being born and raised in my community and the trust I’ve built through other jobs, volunteer work, and the faith-based community have helped me build a level of respect to do this work. And, when partners feel respected, heard, and valued, they’re more willing to share resources and commit to the work. A Collaborative must also have structure. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities help avoid duplication of efforts and holds everyone accountable. Each partner needs to understand what’s expected of them and how important their contribution is to support the work. Together, these three ingredients establish purpose (shared vision), people (trust), and process (structure)—the core pillars of thriving collaboration.

Surprises and Lessons
What’s surprised me most about my work with Family Connection is the incredible power of collaboration. We all need help. It’s proven how much more can be accomplished when diverse community partners come together with a common goal and vision for their community. Even with Hancock County being one of the poorest counties in Georgia, we’ve been able to make meaningful progress by building strong relationships and listening to the community. The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that sustainable change doesn’t happen overnight—it requires patience, persistence, and deep community trust.

Daring to Dream
I dream of a Hancock County where every child grows up in a safe, stable, and supportive environment—where families are not defined by poverty, but by their potential to succeed. I envision a community where children have access to quality education, health care, and opportunities to thrive. My plan to chase down that dream begins with strengthening partnerships, expanding wraparound services, and trying hard to make sure no family falls through the cracks. It also means investing time and effort in our young people—listening to them, educating them, and allowing them to participate in the Collaborative and community functions. I carry with me a piece of advice from our previous coordinator Mr. Tatnall Butts, “No man is an island; it takes all of us to succeed. That’s collaboration.” That mindset has guided me through many challenges, and it reminds me daily that progress is possible.

Visit Family Connection-Communities In Schools of Hancock County’s website.

Share these posts and graphic with your local partners on your social media platforms this month.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Preventing suicide means understanding risk, accessing supportive, proven care, and sharing hope. Accessibility and visibility of resources is crucial so that those in need of support can easily find care. Let people know there are proven treatments that work, learn the warning signs, and normalize help-seeking. Check out @SAMHSA’s #SuicidePreventionMonth toolkit. samhsa.gov/suicide-prevention-month

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Let people know there are proven treatments that work, learn the warning signs, and normalize help-seeking. Check out this #SuicidePreventionMonth toolkit from @samhsaagov. samhsa.gov/suicide-prevention-month

Connected is a publication of Georgia Family Connection Partnership.
Copyright © 2025 Georgia Family Connection Partnership, All rights reserved.

Send your story ideas—or any questions—to Krystin Dean at krystin@gafcp.org.