Wahkiakum County Network wins state excellence award

June 14, 2007

Washington State Family Policy Council (FPC) recently celebrated significant successes across the state among its 39 Community Public Health and Safety Networks, which include the Wahkiakum County Community Network.

The local network in Wahkiakum County won the Family Policy Council's Exceptional Results Award for attaining its 10 year goal of reducing teen alcohol consumption within eight years. They were rewarded with a cash prize of $15,000 and were the only network in the state to produce such a plan. The three other top winners were the Tacoma Urban Network, Walla Walla and Greater Pierce County.

Overall, the Wahkiakum County Community Network observed a reduction in the 30-day use of alcohol by 8th, 10th and 12th grade students, while drug and alcohol treatment for teenage youths increased by 314 percent. In addition, referrals to Child Protective Services have dropped in the county by 19 percent.

As local affiliates of the Family Policy Council, community networks are special-purpose districts that provide structure, flexible funding, and umbrella associations for residents and professionals who work to improve the lives of children and families. The focus of their work is to reduce the rates of major social problems such as: child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, and domestic violence.

These seemingly intractable social problems interact and form multi-generational patterns of harm. Solving these troubles requires breaking down barriers between service systems, promoting evidence based solutions, and empowering communities to support and respond to the unmet social and developmental needs of children and families.

Each community network represents the public as a whole. The Family Policy Council celebrates the success of the Wahkiakum County Community Network, which has been instrumental in uniting the community to cooperate to achieve what no single entity could reach alone. .

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