ATLANTA – Seventeen Georgia community organizations have been selected to receive technical assistance and funding from the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) through its State of Hope (SoH) initiative.

Started in 2018 and now in its third cycle, Georgia SoH will now work with these and a network of other elected groups to help continue efforts in local communities that address conditions which attribute to disparities in education, threaten a family’s self- sufficiency and lead to child abuse and neglect.

This year, over 140 applications from all over the state were submitted for SoH consideration. Of those submitted, seventeen were selected to receive funding. To see a listing of these organizations, click here.

Led by the Georgia DFCS, and in partnership with Georgia State University (Child Welfare Training Collaborative) and Georgia Family Connection partnership, the State of Hope initiative provides opportunities for interested local community programs to enhance what they are already doing to improve the quality of life for Georgia families.

DFCS Division Director, Tom Rawlings said, “Even in this time of uncertainty and change, community organizations are ready to help and we are here to support them.”

The majority of applicants, including those selected to receive funding, were invited to become members of the Hope Ecosystem -- a network that enables State of Hope sites to connect and collaborate with fellow sites, receive technical resources and support, and access additional opportunities.

Dahlia Bell-Brown, Deputy Division Director of Strategy, Innovation & Engagement at DFCS said, “We welcome to the movement these groups that care about their community, believe they can make a difference, and want families and children to thrive.”

To learn more about the State of Hope initiative, visit: dfcs.georgia.gov/state-hope. For more information, questions or to be added to the State of Hope mailing list, please email [email protected].

About Georgia DFCS
DFCS administers foster care for children removed from their homes for their protection when they have been subjected to abuse and neglect. It is responsible for the investigation of reports of child abuse; recruitment of foster homes for abused and neglected children; issuance of SNAP, Medicaid, TANF and childcare assistance to low income families; assistance for out-of-work parents to help them get back on their feet
as well as multiple support services and programs to help families in need.