Who We Support

Technology Upgrades

Northwest Family Services

Award Date: May 1, 2020
Awarded: $19,550

Northwest Family Services is a private, nonprofit youth service agency in rural Northwest Oklahoma. The agency provides a variety of services to youth and families with child welfare and juvenile justice involvement through foster care, Parents As Teachers child abuse prevention program, counseling, First Time Offender Program and community at risk outreach program. While under shelter-at-home restrictions, 90% of services must be done virtually. Rural communities encounter several barriers to accessing virtual services, including lack of internet access and/or inadequate data plans due to increased usage, lack of state subsidized daycare, inability to provide adequate supervision of children in the home, increased stress within the family due to loss of jobs, schools moving to virtual distance learning, inability to offer face-to-face family of origin visits, foster care support groups, parents night out, informal care, and respite. Technology upgrades will ensure children in rural homes have adequate internet access to complete their school work, counseling/medical appointments and virtual family visits.