Families Program

The Families Program aims to provide intensive, wrap-around help for children whose underachievement in school is connected to their disadvantaged home environment. The child is viewed as part of a family unit; by targeting both the child and the family, the program aims both to improve the child's classroom performance and make an impact on the quality of life and prospects of the family as a whole.

The program works by recruiting a municipal coordinator, who brings together officers from the education, welfare and other relevant departments within the local authority to create for each family a tailor-made plan based on solutions such as material aid, therapies and enrichment courses for the children and workshops for the parents. A "family escort" (a welfare or education professional) is appointed to accompany and monitor each family, and to be the family's single address in dealing with the various programs that it is participating in.

In 2005, the program was launched in six towns (Shlomi, Yokneam, Tirat Carmel in the north, and Dimona, Ofakim and Kiryat Malachi in the south), and since 2006, it has been expanded to another four towns through the Northern Recovery Plan – Merom Hagalil, Ma'ale Yosef, Hurfeish and Kiryat Shmona. In the veteran localities, more than 220 families are currently following their individualized work plan; 255 children have undergone didactic assessments, and more than 440 take part in afternoon enrichment courses. In the newer localities, the families have been recruited, their professional escorts have been appointed, and the family plans have been drafted.