Families & Communities Rising

Established in 1969, FCR is a national provider of programs and services focused on children, families and the communities they are in. OUR MISSION
To educate and empower children, families, communities and organizations by delivering unique educational and supportive services. Families & Communities Rising, formerly CHTOP, was started in 1969 as one of the original outreach projects which were created to develop and disseminate strategies for educating young children with disabilities. In its early days, staff developed a series of products which promoted a solid understanding of child development using commonly accepted developmental milestones. These assessment instruments are available today through our publishing partners in the form of the:

•Early LAP for children birth to three
•LAP-3 for children three to five
•LAP-D (diagnostic edition) for children three to five

FCR regards parents as the child’s primary teachers and there has always been a strong emphasis on developing effective parenting strategies. FCR’s involvement with Head Start and Early Head Start emphasizes the critical role of parents and parenting in child development. Parenting is a main component in our Family Resource Centers as well. For parents and parenting caring for children with disabilities, the ARCH program provides a system for acquiring respite care, and our FRIENDS program strengthens state systems to prevent child abuse and neglect through local, community-based programs. Our focus on children with disabilities remains a primary object through all FCR programs but especially through the KidSCope program that provides therapy, parenting and child development services and training for families with children with special needs.