How Communities Can Better Support Families in Crisis

At a recent meeting of the 100 Families Initiative of Pulaski County, community partners, service providers, and parents came together to talk about a simple but often overlooked question: What do struggling families actually need when they reach out for help?

The answers, shared through a candid panel discussion, pointed to something deeper than any single service or program. Supporting families, they said, starts with listening, builds with trust, and succeeds with coordinated community support.

Families in crisis rarely arrive with just one challenge, the panel noted. What providers see at first—housing instability, unemployment, or legal issues—is often only a small part of the full picture. To truly help, providers must slow down, set aside assumptions, and take time to understand the full story. That begins with something simple: listening without judgment.

"I just needed somebody to listen because I didn't have a safe space where I felt like anybody was listening," said Leslie Skaggs, a family advocate with Every Arkansan and parent who once experienced crisis firsthand when she fell into drug addiction after traumatic experiences in her life. Her children were removed from the family home and she and her husband, who was also struggling with addiction, needed help navigating the system so they could be with their children again.

"Then once you listen to a family, they'll start having these little light bulbs go off in their head, and then you can start providing the resources that they need," Skaggs added.

"Often we make assumptions," said Coordinator Tamara Keech with the Zero to Three Safe Babies court team. "But to be able to get into who they really are and find out what is in that hidden backpack that they walked in with, we have to sit down, lean in and listen and not judge, and not always be trying to think about what we're going to say."

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the need to move beyond transactional services. Families are often used to systems that tell them what to do—complete this form, attend this appointment, meet this requirement. But panelists emphasized that lasting change doesn’t come from checklists alone. It comes from relationships.

By taking time to build trust, walking alongside families, and helping them navigate systems together, providers can shift the experience from overwhelming to empowering.

"Parents often feel like they're running out of time. There's always a pressure and that is what often makes them feel defeated because there's not enough time in the day," said panelist Sean Simpson of the Every Arkansan Fatherhood Initiative. "When parents know the bills are due and the kids are acting up, nothing fully gets completed. They need someone to hear them and help them strategize: what does it look like step by step to come out of this situation?"

Another insight shared by the panel was the importance of starting with what families say they need. They noted that too often, systems prioritize what they think is most important. But real progress begins when support aligns with a family’s immediate priorities.

Panelists shared examples of how addressing urgent needs—like housing, transportation, or basic household items—can open the door to deeper support over time. By responding first to what matters most to families, trust grows. And with trust comes the opportunity to address more complex challenges as time goes on, like mental health needs.

Charlie Simpson, who oversees the Arkansas Relationship Counseling Center, said one of the biggest challenges mental health care providers often face is that they jump in too quickly with the family.

"When a family is looking for housing, the last thing they want to hear a counselor say is, 'Well, how does not having housing make you feel?' So we have to be able to shift our approach to meet the family where they are," he said.

Simpson said once the basic needs are met and immediate fires are put out, families will then confide in him about the struggles that have been leading to those challenges.

"It takes about four interactions about the more basic needs for them to finally come to us and say there is something going on that they need to share with us," he added.

While the discussion touched on the importance of engaging fathers, the broader message was clear: strong families require support for every member.

That includes:

• Parents navigating stress, financial pressure, and complex systems

• Children whose well-being depends on stability at home

• Fathers who may feel overlooked or unsure of their role

• Mothers who often carry the weight of coordinating care

Panelists emphasized that when one part of the family is supported, the entire family benefits. In particular, they highlighted the importance of recognizing fathers as more than financial providers—ensuring they feel welcomed, valued, and equipped to play an active role in their families.

The 100 Families Initiative is built on a simple but powerful idea: no single organization can meet every need. Instead, progress happens when community partners work together—sharing information, coordinating services, and surrounding families with support.

Panelists described how collaboration removes barriers that often prevent families from moving forward, such as disconnected systems or lack of follow-through. By working as a unified network, providers can help families navigate challenges more efficiently—and with greater confidence.

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