2023: Year-In-Review
2023 has been a wonderful year of building brighter futures in Southeast Michigan! Oakland Family Services’ prevention, education, and treatment programs continued to provide life-changing support for individuals and families in our community.
Before the new year, we’d like to reflect on some successes from 2023.
In prevention:
Early On completed home visits to identify developmental delays in children ages 0-3 and support their motor, cognitive, speech, and social-emotional development. In 2023, more than 80% of families served improved or maintained high scores on the Child Outcomes Summary assessment.
Baby Matty Overcomes Health Challenges with the Help of Oakland Family Services' Early On Program
Parents as Teachers completed home visits to encourage language, social, and emotional development in children ages 0-6 and help families learn ways to support their children’s development. In 2023, 90% of families served improved or maintained high scores on the Protective Factors Survey.
Combined, Early On and Parents as Teachers served 574 children in 2023.
Maureen shares her heartwarming experience with Oakland Family Services’ Parents as Teachers program
Family Preservation provided permanency for children though adoption, guardianship, or reunification with their biological parents and secured homes for foster children with relative and non-relative caregivers. In 2023, a total of 125 families were served. Sixteen children in foster care returned home to their parents. In addition, OFS completed an adoption for two siblings who were in foster care for almost eight years prior to permanent placement.
“When our foster child arrived, he was very anxious, and we felt lost. Oakland Family Services was there for us without hesitation. We are grateful for their unwavering support during such a challenging time.”
In Education:
Our Children’s Learning Centers in Pontiac and Walled Lake provided quality early education that helps at-risk children develop appropriately and enter kindergarten ready to learn.
RJ's Success Story: How Our Children's Learning Center Develops Crucial Skills for Lifelong Learning
In Treatment:
Our Day One counseling program provided mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. Approximately 85% of patients discharged improved or maintained low scores on depression and anxiety assessments.
“I look forward to my weekly sessions, currently through tele-health. [My therapist] points out my strengths, perseverance, desire to be kind to others, my sense of humor, and gives reminders to take life one day at a time.”
Day One’s PRISM (Project Recovery Intensive Services for Mothers) program — an intensive outpatient substance use treatment program for caregivers and pregnant women in recovery — worked towards reuniting children with their mothers. Out of 50 caregivers served, 46 remained in the community. Three of the four women incarcerated returned to the community and continued with treatment from PRISM.
Specialized Services for Youth served children ages 6-21 with serious emotional disturbance and their families. More than 90% of youth remained in the community without hospitalization or incarceration.
Transforming Lives: How Oakland Family Services' Specialized Services for Youth Program Helps Families Overcome Mental Health Challenges
Treatment services also launched several new programs this year:
Juvenile Mental Health Court for youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
Health Professional Recovery Program to help health professionals re-obtain licenses or employment.
Wraparound Services to help families build a team of support for youth in need.
Additional 2023 highlights
We hosted the ninth annual Building Brighter Futures Breakfast in May, which was held in-person for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.
In June, Oakland Family Services staff members competed in our fifth annual Building Brighter Futures Road Rally.
Nearly 100 participants joined our third annual Building Brighter Futures Fun Run in July.
We showed appreciation for our donors in October with a celebration at TopGolf, where we heard a live testimonial from a Parents as Teachers client.
In December, our Adopt A Family program provided holiday gifts for nearly 1,000 children in need.
More than 285 volunteers provided a combined total of over 1,085 hours of service to the agency.
The Oakland Family Services team welcomed and onboarded 53 new hires.
Thank You
We greatly appreciate our donors, volunteers, staff members, and other partners who helped us build brighter futures throughout 2023! Here’s to an even more successful 2024.