Download Full Press Release INKSTER, MICH. (July 07, 2017) – Thrive by Five Detroit (TB5D), a collaborative led by Starfish Family Services and in partnership with Focus: HOPE, Development Centers, Inc., and Southwest Solutions, has begun a project to assess the effectiveness of their birth to five preschool services in Detroit and apply learnings to program improvements The project is funded by a $450,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) of Battle Creek Michigan. Selected by the Office of Head Start, in 2014, to participate in a national birth to five pilot program to create innovative and effective early childhood programs, TB5D currently serves over 1,100 children and their families annually. “Process evaluation doesn’t sound very exciting,” said Ann Kalass, CEO of Starfish Family Services “but we know it’s critically important that we objectively assess our programs to ensure that they are effective and impactful. Thrive by Five has a transformational … [Read more...]

PLYMOUTH – (May 3, 2017) Starfish Family Services, a leading provider of services for at-risk children and families in metro Detroit, announced today that it is the first agency in Michigan to incorporate the nationally recognized Trauma Smart initiative into its early childhood programs. Trauma Smart, based on cutting-edge science and tested therapies, enhances Starfish’s uniquely comprehensive integration of early childhood education and mental health services to address the impact of trauma – including violence, abuse, neglect and household dysfunction – on children’s health, learning and behavior. The multi-year initiative to equip staff, parents and communities with the tools to help families address trauma in healthy ways was announced during the “Building Resilient Communities Forum 2017,” hosted by Starfish and held at the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth. The keynote speaker was national childhood trauma expert, Dr. Bruce Perry, a psychiatrist and senior fellow of the Child … [Read more...]

We're looking for our next Chief Administrative Officer! Starfish Family Services has retained Corporate Consulting Associates (CCA) to perform the executive search for our Chief Administrative Officer (currently named, Chief Operating Officer) position. Based on this independent search, please feel free to reach out directly to John Bukowicz, President and CEO of CCA, at bukowicz@corpconsulting.com for more information or to express interest for consideration. We appreciate your interest in our mission at Starfish Family Services! … [Read more...]