Franklin County Family and Children First Council

Perseverance doesn't always look the way we expect. 💙

It rarely looks like a big breakthrough moment. It usually looks much quieter than that — and it can be easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for.

🌱looks like staying in a hard conversation.
🌱Asking for help when you expected to be let down.
🌱Showing up when your body said don't.
🌱 You recognized a trigger and caught yourself before reacting the way you used to
🌱Recovering a little faster than last time.
🌱Trying again.

That is your nervous system healing. That is your brain building new pathways. That is perseverance and it counts.

If any of this sounds like you, you are growing. 💙

In honor of Memorial Day, Franklin Co. FCFC will be closed on Monday, May 26th. We will reopen Tuesday, May 27th during normal business hours. Wishing our community a meaningful and safe holiday weekend. ❤️

The shift from structured school days to summer schedules can be challenging for children who thrive on consistency and for the caregivers supporting them. As we head into summer break, we want families to know It’s okay if summer feels overwhelming sometimes.

Whether your family is planning activities, navigating childcare or simply trying to make it through the day, Franklin County FCFC recognizes the hard work and resilience it can take to make it through summer break.

A few gentle tips for families this summer:
☀️ Keep simple daily routines when possible
☀️ Build in sensory breaks and downtime
☀️ Celebrate small wins
☀️ Reach out to community supports when needed
☀️ Make space for joy, however that looks for your family

Wishing all of our families a safe and supported summer break. 💛

💚 May is Mental Health Awareness Month — and there's no better time to check in on yourself and the people you love.

This year's theme of More Good Days, Together encourages us all to reflect on what a “good” day looks like, both for ourselves, and for our communities.

Together, we can use that insight to connect people to the right support at the right time, and shape advocacy, education, and community engagement to make more good days possible for all.

Mental Health America (MHA). - https://mhanational.org/mental-health-month/

If you or someone you know in Franklin County is looking for local mental health resources, 📌 A free resource magnet is available at:

👉franklinfamilyfirst.org/caregiversupportgroup

🌿 This month — and every month — let's break the stigma. Share this post. Start the conversation. Reach out.
You matter. Help is here. 💚

Join Us!!!!

Franklinfamilyfirst.org/upcomingevents

Perseverance, through a brain-based, trauma-informed lens, is not willpower or toughness. It is the gradual, courageous process of a healing nervous system choosing to move forward — even when the brain has learned, through painful experience, that moving forward isn't safe.

Perseverance, then, is not the absence of struggle. It is what happens when:

🧠The nervous system finds enough safety — through consistent relationships, environments, and experiences — to begin lowering its guard

🧠The brain, supported by co-regulation and connection with others, starts to distinguish between past danger and present possibility

🧠A person takes one small step — not because everything feels okay, but because they have enough support to tolerate the discomfort of trying

🧠New neural pathways form through repeated experiences of "I tried, and I survived" — slowly replacing the older message of "it's not safe to try"

🧠Someone begins to understand their own story and recognize that their responses make sense, which restores a sense of agency and self-trust

Perseverance isn't about ignoring how hard things are. It's about understanding why it's hard — and choosing to grow anyway.

💚 May is Mental Health Awareness Month — and it starts earlier than you might think.

Did you know that the foundation of lifelong mental health is built in the first five years of life? The connections, routines, and relationships our little ones experience now shape how they regulate emotions, handle stress, and connect with others for years to come.

Here are a few simple, meaningful ways to support your young child's mental health every day:
✔️ Naming their feelings out loud
✔️ Keeping daily routines consistent
✔️ Getting down on their level and truly listening
✔️ Making space for free, unstructured play
✔️ Showing them what calm looks like

Mental health is not just the absence of struggle — it's the presence of connection, safety, and love. And you're already giving your child more than you know. 💚

🫶 May is National Foster Care Month 🫶

At Franklin County FCFC, we’re proud to partner with Franklin County Children’s Services to support youth. Through coordinated care and shared perspectives, we’re better able to respond to the unique needs of children and families across our community.

Franklin County Children’s Services plays a vital role in serving children in foster care, working every day to promote their safety and well-being. This month, we recognize the resilience of youth in foster care, the dedication of foster families and the professionals who show up each day to support them.

Join us in honoring National Foster Care Month and the many individuals making a meaningful difference for children and families in Franklin County.