Heather Darracott
For the FCT

The Franklin County Children’s Policy Council held their committee meeting on Thursday, February 16, 2012, at the First United Methodist Church in Russellville.
The meeting was centered on the issue of bullying in our schools and to discuss any gaps in services for the children of Franklin County.
Due to the devastation the county faced on April 27, 2011, the Children’s Policy Council redirected their efforts to helping those who were affected by the storm.
Now those efforts have once again turned back to those issues that are facing children in Franklin County, whether they are still related to tornado relief, child abuse and neglect, bullying, or any other gaps in services.
The six committees (Early Childhood, Health/Safety/Mental Health, Economic Security/Development, Parental Involvement, Education, and Community Involvement) met during a break-out session to come up with goals and projects that can be done to ensure the success, safety, and economic security of our children.
Judge Paula McDowell, chair of the Franklin County Children’s Policy Council, addressed the crowd and stressed how important it is for the committees to work together in order to come up with possible solutions to the problem of bullying.  She was followed by Jr. Ruiz, president of the YES Foundation, who also emphasized the need for more bullying awareness in the Franklin County School System and the Russellville City School System.
Katernia Cole of the Franklin County Extension Office thanked everyone for coming and discussed some of the resources available through each county extension office, and then Dr. Susan Hargett from Franklin County Community Education discussed bullying and the impact that it has on children.
She also addressed each committee and gave them the charge to discuss feasible goals and projects that can be accomplished by the next meeting on April 10, 2012, at the Making a Difference for Franklin County’s Children child abuse and neglect prevention conference, which will be held at the A.W. Todd Center when each committee will present their project.
If you would like to be a part of the “Stop Bullying Effort” or the Children’s Policy Council, contact Community Education at (256) 331-0005. Together we can make a difference for the children of Franklin County!