Mission:
To enhance the quality of life in Summit County by providing information, assistance and education to families and individuals from all cultures.  FIRC fosters collaboration between community agencies and businesses and advocates for family and cultural competence.

Goals:
The FIRC encourages and supports our clients’ growth and ultimate goal of self sufficiency. We are here to support and empower. Because funding is limited, the FIRC cannot always provide an individual or family with everything they may need. We do, however, always do our best to support our clients in the manner we think will be most beneficial to them at that time.

Services:

• Cultural Adjustment – addresses issues specific to immigrants and refugees.
• Current Events & Multicultural Forums - bring speakers, trainers, educational forums and information to the community concerning family and cultural issues and challenges and current events
• Familias Unidas - Familias Unidas is a home-visitation program based on the Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum, targeting Spanish-speaking families with children between ages 3 and 5 to increase school readiness. The program consists of monthly home visits by a parent educator knowledgeable in child development and current research concerning children and families. The educator administers screenings to assess the child’s overall development as well as health, hearing and vision
• Head Start - In collaboration with Early Childhood Options, Summit County Government and Summit County School District the FIRC partners in providing the Head Start program to 35 Summit County families
• Warm Welcome – a visitation program available to all new parents. A volunteer visits a family both pre and postnatal. Basic information about newborns, parenting and community resources are made available to the family during the visit.
• General & Emergency Assistance
• Rental and/or deposit assistance (only with an eviction notice or proof that the current living situation is unsafe or unstable)
• Utilities assistance (only with proof that one has first been accepted or denied for LEAP, the utilities assistance program through the Summit County Department of Social Services, 970.668.4100);
• Food bank distribution (one time emergency assistance, frequent visits require volunteer work)
• Clothing and/or furniture/appliance vouchers after specific needs are assessed
• Limited mental health scholarships for immigrants and refugees
• Time-limited emergency shelter
• Bus transportation within Colorado
• Case management
• Referral services.

• Cultural adjustment programs

• Strengthening Latino families

• Cultural competence

• Domestic violence and victim's rights

• Immigration/naturalization

• Resource library

Assistance is provided after an initial interview by one of our Community Advocates.

Many of our services are free of cost while others are offered at reasonable rates.

All services are confidential and no information is provided without prior permission.