The Office of Prevention and Community Support Section (OPCSS) works within the Division and in partnership with community-based organizations to reduce child abuse and neglect. Through the use of state and federal funding streams, OPCSS supports the use of evidence-based and evidence-informed practices and programs to improve outcomes for children and families. In an effort to assist the Division in providing Georgia with safe children, strengthened families, and stronger communities, OPCSS-funded services include parent education, screening and linkage to appropriate resources, training opportunities, high-quality home visitation, adolescent pregnancy prevention and youth development, and professional development for our providers. Primary, secondary, and tertiary maltreatment prevention efforts help local communities promote safe, stable nurturing relationships and environments for all Georgia’s families.
OPCSS Goals:
The goals of the Office of Prevention and Community Support Section are: (1) to support community-based efforts to develop, operate, expand and enhance targeted projects and initiatives aimed at improving outcomes for children and families; and (2) to support networks of coordinated resources and activities to strengthen and support families. The OPCSS’s focus is building capacity by providing grant funding, training, and technical assistance to community-based primary and secondary child maltreatment or adolescent pregnancy prevention activities.
The Office of Prevention and Community Support Section within the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services promotes the health, safety and wellness of Georgia’s children and families by:
- Developing and enhancing community-based projects and prevention strategies which provide primary and secondary prevention programs for families to prevent child abuse and neglect
- Developing and maintaining state and local interagency collaborative efforts through systems integration and systems change aimed at improving outcomes for families and communities.
- Assisting parents in gaining the knowledge, skills, and opportunity to shape policy, programs and services that impact families;
- Engaging all sectors of the community in child abuse prevention programs and activities
- Reducing adolescent sexual activity, pregnancies, births, repeat births, and sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
- Increasing the use of adolescent pregnancy prevention education for adolescents by initiating after-school, school-based, or community-based positive youth development programs.
- Managing Georgia’s Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (PSSF) federal child welfare funding to develop and establish, or expand, and to operate coordinated programs of community-based family support services, family preservation services, time-limited family reunification services, and adoption promotion and support services.
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