The Front Porch

Mission The Front Porch, Where Youth and Families Gather, is established as a community-based risk reduction program designed to identify children and families who are at risk of becoming involved with the court for delinquency, dependency, and children in need of services (“CHINS”), and to utilize available community resources for the purpose of developing and implementing intervention actions or plans to divert the children and their families from becoming involved in future cases in court. Vision We envision a Chatham County where every young person and family is met by their community and institutions with trust and compassion. Where they are emotionally and physically safe and where they have easy access to responsive resources they need to heal and thrive. So that they develop, the radical hope and power needed to navigate and overcome inequitable systems with knowledge, guidance, and support. History The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing the Front Porch was signed in November and December 2018 by 11 agencies, including Chatham County Juvenile Court (CCJC), Chatham County (funds the Blueprint grant), City of Savannah (provides the building that the Front Porch operates out of), District Attorney of Chatham County, Savannah Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS), Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council, State of Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, Gateway Community Service Board, Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition, St. Joseph's/Candler, and The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire, Inc. The MOU creates an Interagency Oversight Group (IOG) consisting of representatives of those agency, as well as citizen and other nongovernmental and governmental representatives. The IOG provides guidance for the continuing operation and future enhancement of The Front Porch, particularly (i) long-term strategies in support of stakeholder needs and objectives as well as legislative mandates; (ii) resources required to adequately maintain operations and accomplish stakeholder needs and objectives; and (iii) resolution of conflicting opinions and disagreements between the parties.

The purpose of The Front Porch is to assist youth and families who are at risk of becoming involved with the Court for delinquency, dependency and children in need of services (CHINS) to access available community resources that lead to better outcomes for both the youth and their families and improved community safety. Participation in the Front Porch is wholly voluntary.