How Family Resource Youth Service Center Tirelessly Provides for Students

At LaRue County Schools, administrators and teachers know that rising tides lift all boats. Helping struggling students succeed brings success to everyone, and the community becomes a better place. One of the most influential groups looking to change the tides for the better is the Family Resource Youth Service Center (FRYSC). This group operates behind the scenes, but this week we put their efforts center stage.

The FRYSC coordinators spend their days ensuring that students and families get the help they need in non-academic areas. These activities can range from Feeding America Backpack Meals to home visits to help students with supplies. As Director of Student Services Eric Allen noted, FRYSC coordinators are the backbone of support for students and staff alike at LaRue County Schools.

But what exactly does the FRYSC do day-to-day? Allen said each day will differ but at the root of everything they do, one thing stays consistent: serving students.

“Much of their work centers around offering emergency assistance, food assistance, hygiene supplies, educational support, and additional programs,” Allen said. “They also form partnerships with civic organizations and community groups to help LCS families. In many ways, they are a bridge between many different groups in the community and the school system.”

On a statewide level, FRYSC represents a collaboration between the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Kentucky Department of Education. These various state departments provide training, project planning, budget coordinators, regional program managers and more for the various districts.

The real heartbeat, however, comes down to the team of coordinators within each county. They’re the “boots on the ground” applicators of funds and resources to help students. Allen said LaRue County is exceptionally fortunate to have incredible coordinators who look beyond simply helping a student with an issue and seek to support the student themselves.

“We are fortunate to have a team of FRYSC coordinators who see their role not only as complementary to the schools they serve but integral to student success,” Allen said. “These individuals prioritize serving others, going above and beyond, and seeing the child holistically. Much like other positions in education, serving as a FRYSC coordinator is a calling.”