Family Solutions Collaborative

The Family Solutions Collaborative Leads Orange County to end Family Homelessness: Through strong partnerships, our member organizations ideate, implement and advocate for innovations throughout the system, making the FSC the primary driver towards ending a family’s housing crisis.

In 2013, the A2 Family Cohort (now known as Family Solutions Collaborative) came together as a few local agencies as a grassroots effort to end family homelessness. At that time, the mission of the A2 Family Cohort was to develop a group of geographically diverse, homeless service providers to analyze the efficacy of current resources for homeless families and inform systemic changes that will end homelessness for children and families in Orange County.

In 2015, the A2 Family Cohort received a Learning Grant from the Orange County Community Foundation. This provided training for Critical Time Intervention which was facilitated by Community Solutions and Bridges Out of Poverty.

In Fiscal Year 2015-2016, the A2 Family Cohort received funding from First 5 of Orange County to conduct a series of Collective Impact trainings with the Executive and Director level staff of the A2 Family Cohort agencies. With the funding, the A2 Family Cohort was able to hire a consultant to conduct a Landscape Analysis and develop Theory of Change model. At that time, Mercy House was the lead agency for the A2 Family Cohort and served as the fiscal backbone organization.

In 2017, the A2 Family Cohort conducted the first ever Orange County Family Assessment Week. This was a focused effort to reach the community’s homeless families through the combined efforts of the County of Orange, 2-1-1 OC, the A2 Family Cohort with support from the First 5 Orange County. Ten agencies partnered together to conduct a homeless family count.

The A2 Family Cohort contracted with the County of Orange’s Continuum of Care to implement and manage the Family Coordinated Entry. The Family Coordinated Entry System (FCES) is the “virtual front door” into the FCES to ensure fair and equitable access so that services can be provided in a timely and coordinated effort for shelterless families. Also at this time, the A2 Family Cohort changed the name to the Family Solutions Collaborative and Families Forward became the fiscal backbone. By the end of 2017, the FSC began the process of engaging in family shelter evaluation.

In 2018, the Family Solutions Collaborative coordinated with Katherine Gale Consulting to conduct an FSC Family Shelter Network evaluation. This evaluation, commissioned by HomeAid Orange County and the Family Solutions Collaborative, with support from the First 5 Orange County, was intended to investigate and describe the process and of a coordination of effort to impact the family shelter system. The evaluation included the creation of five new, year-round shelters for families, and the launch of a coordinated systems approach.

In 2019, the Family Solutions Collaborative was one of 10 communities who participated in the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) to create a framework on family homelessness. As one of the 10 nationwide communities, the FSC participated in a Pilot project to develop criteria and benchmarks for achieving the goal of ending family homelessness. The FSC received funding through the Orange County Continuum of Care for the Homeless Emergency Assistance Program, where the FSC administered the funding through our Access Points, to provide prevention assistance funding, case management and additional services.

In early 2020, the Family Solutions Collaborative applied for, and received funding through the First 5 Orange County to design a Family Housing Navigation Program and approach informed by State and local best-practices. The goal of the Project is to reduce family homelessness, reduce the length of stay in shelter and improve and expand on the system of homeless prevention. Also, as part of the funding, the development of a Diversion Expansion Plan, as outlined in this document.

As a response to the Pandemic, in 2020, the FSC received funding through the County of Orange Office of Care Coordination and the Orange County Department of Public Health to implement and manage the Alternative Shelter Placement Program. This program hired a full-time Family Response Specialist as well as funding to provide motel stays for literally homeless families who were affected by COVID. First 5 Orange County and the Department of Public Health provided additional funding for motel stays for families who were affected by COVID as well.

Additionally, the FSC received funding through a variety of sources, including St. Joseph / Providence to conduct a series of Strategic Planning Sessions with the FSC Executive Committee. These sessions and follow-up work is expected to be completed the summer of 2021. Also, the FSC received funding to support the operations and administrative costs of the FSC through a variety of partners and funders: Orange County Community Foundation, Be Well OC, Kaiser Hospital and Hoag Hospital.

In 2021, the FSC received $4 Million in funding through Orange County Office of Care Coordination to be the grant administrator of funding for Rapid Rehousing services, to flow through four of our member agencies, as a direct response to the Pandemic. This one-time funding opportunity that allowed our members an opportunity to assist over 200 literally homeless families with their housing needs with Rapid Rehousing Funding. The FSC extended and expanded the Homeless Emergency Assistance Program with the Orange County Office of Care Coordination for family homeless Prevention services, with funding to administer through our Access Points.

The FSC launched the Diversion Expansion Project, working on a systems-wide level to enhance Diversion/Problem Solving, best-practices within the family system. This effort is supported by First 5 of Orange County. The FSC received funding through Hoag Community Foundation, to develop and implement specialized training opportunities to our member agencies to increase knowledge, capacity and best-practices related to family homelessness.

The Family Solutions Collaborative seeks to address the critical and multifaceted challenges faced by families experiencing homelessness in our community. This collaborative effort brings together a diverse group of service providers, advocates, and stakeholders committed to creating a comprehensive and effective approach to eradicate family homelessness.

1. $50,000 Enhance System Coordination: Develop a collaborative framework to streamline communication and coordination among service providers, ensuring a seamless and efficient delivery of services to families experiencing homelessness.
2. $25,000 Increased Advocacy for Affordable Housing Stock: Advocate for and collaborate with stakeholders to expand the availability of affordable housing options, providing families with the stability needed to regain independence.
3. $25,000 Comprehensive Educational and Employment Support: Coordinate training programs that focus on educational and employment opportunities for parents and children, empowering families to achieve financial independence.
4. $100,000 Increase Family Prevention Funding and Access to Social Support Services: Increase and strengthen prevention support and services through a robust social support network of providers to address the unique needs of families experiencing homelessness.
5. $50,000 Data Standardization and Analysis: Implement standardized data collection and reporting mechanisms to facilitate a better understanding of the scope of family homelessness, enabling data analysis, evidence-based decision-making and resource allocation.

Orange County