Families Count Service Station

Families Count Service Stations are family resource centers that prevent child abuse by providing services to working poor families in crisis. These families are at risk of abuse when they have to make decisions about whether to take their uninsured child to the doctor or buy food To prevent the “kick the dog” syndrome, Families Count Service Stations offer rent/utility, gasoline and prescription assistance. And, these family resource centers also offer Florida KidCare health insurance advocacy and enrollment so that uninsured children in our community have access to quality health care. As well, these Service Stations provide social workers that link, refer and connect working poor families to community resources that are vital to the family’s success. Families Count has been able to prevent child abuse by helping working poor families access resources via Microsoft Explorer because application for these services are now internet based to reduce costs to the State of Florida. While internet based social services are a great invention, our customers are not able to access a computer and/or not able to use a computer, and/or not able to interpret an electronic application and respond correctly. But, Families Count is able to provide the support needed for families to apply for dire social services via Microsoft Explorer. Explorer is our chosen browser to access Florida KidCare health insurance, Access Florida for food stamps and Medicaid and link and referral information to other community resources for families. Without Microsoft Explorer, we could not keep at risk families out of crisis and children safe and healthy. At risk families have traditionally had to go the Department of Children and Families Office to enroll in most social service programs. These offices are sterile, harsh and impose a negative stigma that oftentimes prevented families from getting the help they need. And, it would take weeks to get benefits from this traditional office based model. Today, Families Count offers a family friendly atmosphere with positive support and no stigma. Using Microsoft Explorer has greatly reduced the time it takes families to receive benefits and created a user friendly, helpful, supportive environment for at risk families to get the help they need to stay out of crisis, working and healthy.