Meriden Family Zone Awarded Federal Grant

A program that serves families in a distressed, low-income neighborhood in Meriden has been awarded federal money to expand. The Meriden Family Zone ties together services and supports to improve the lives of families and young children.

Families who are part of the Meriden Family Zone tend be disconnected from life in the larger city, says David Radcliffe, director of Meriden Children First.  

"They are very isolated. They tend not to be involved with  their child’s school. The intent is to connect with families well before the child reaches school age, because in some ways that can be too late."

He says outreach workers go into at-risk homes on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, "...to check in on where the family is and where they want to be. And to develop a shared understanding of how to help that family move forward. So if that means to make a phone call to sign up for swimming lessons, or to enroll a preschooler in a quality preschool program, we help to build those bridges and make those connections."

Radcliffe says concentrating services in a defined geographic area, helps neighbors build community.  

"And by engaging families who live close to each other, we have a better chance for them to get to know each other and then be a self-supporting support system so they can have each other to help to be successful."

Meriden Family Zone is inspired by the work of the Harlem Children Zone. 

The program was awarded $465,000  by the U.S. Department of Education Promise Neighborhood grant. 

For WNPR, I’m Diane Orson.