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Helping Families Initiative

Lee County District Attorney's Office

Our Mission

The Helping Families Initiative works to assist children and their families by identifying and connecting them to the resources necessary to improve their child’s academic success, emotional well-being, and family stability. Through improvements in these specific areas HFI seeks to decrease the child’s risk of substance abuse, suspensions, juvenile arrests, and student dropouts.

Our Goal

The Helping Families Initiative (HFI) is built on a collaborative relationship between the Lee County District Attorney’s Office, community partners, and the surrounding public school systems. HFI seeks to provide prevention and intervention services aimed at eliminating the barriers to the child’s emotional, behavioral, and academic success by creating a network of support and referrals to each child and family participating in the Helping Families Initiative.

Referral Process

HFI is a preventative program aimed to decrease the incidences of juvenile court cases by ensuring each child has the opportunity and resources needed to succeed. HFI services are open to families with a child who is currently enrolled in an Auburn City, Opelika City, or Lee County schools.
Families may complete a referral form by scanning the QR code or contacting the Lee County District Attorney’s Office (334)737-3446. Families may also be referred by the school. The family will be contacted and offered HFI services.

Overview

Once referred to The Helping Families Initiative, the families will be paired with a case officer which will assist them by working to identify the family’s specific needs, secure the necessary resources to assist them, as well as be there to support them as they work to reach their goals. Many of the referrals HFI may assist families with are: academic support, mentoring, mental health, parenting education, housing, food, clothing, utilities, domestic violence, job training, and childcare.