Community type
Small town; population of 28,000

Location
Barberton, Ohio

Geographic region
Midwest

Partners
Barberton City Schools, Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron, and the University of Akron, with assistance from other community agencies.

Population served
Low-income families with multiple risk factors. Adults can receive pre-employment training and GED instruction, parent education, healthcare assistance, and training in independent living skills. Pre-school children can participate in early childhood education programs and obtain medical care.

Lessons learned

• Integrated services: Recognizing that low literacy skills are only one of multiple problems often facing very low-income families, Decker offers an array of services to help clients become self-sufficient.
  
  
• What makes the partnership work: dedicated partners and staff; shared goals; strong commitment to families; operational flexibility.

Partnership highlights

• Decker is not a legal entity; the three partners share responsibility for management, planning, and operations.
  
  
• Decker was created based on a community needs assessment identifying Barberton as a high-poverty area in need of more services.
  
  
• Each year, Decker serves approximately 225 families with 330 pre-school children.
  
  
• An intensive Open Intake Process involves all partners and permits an accurate, comprehensive assessment of families’ needs.

Resources
Funding from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, Ohio Department of Education, and Summit County. Substantial in-kind support from Barberton City Schools, the University of Akron, and the Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Status
Due to lack of funding, the Decker Child Development Center closed in 2004. If you have any questions about this partnership please contact the former Director, Mary Frances Ahern.

Contact

Mary Frances Ahern
Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron
One Perkins Square
Akron, OH 44308
(330) 543-8835
mahern@chmca.org