By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

The Sauer Family Foundation of St. Paul, since 1996, has partnered with Otter Tail County and other areas of Minnesota to strengthen the well-being of children and their families.

A new grant of close to $227,000 has been awarded to Otter Tail County for the development of Family Resource Centers throughout the county. 

“The goals are to support families to be strong, healthy and successful,” said County Human Services Director Deb Sjostrom to the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners on July 9. “Services include parenting support, child development activities and parental leadership development.”

Currently there are more than 3,000 Family Resource Centers in 37 states. 

“Quality training is required as part of this grant from the Sauer Family Foundation,” Sjostrom said. “A Family Resource Center can be located at either a school or other location in a community, situated as a welcoming hub of support, services and opportunities for families.”

Previously, in 2023, the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners contracted with a consultant to complete a community needs assessment on development of one or more Family Resource Centers. 

Likely locations, representing all four quadrants of Otter Tail County, included Pelican Rapids (northwest quadrant), Parkers Prairie (southeast quadrant), New York Mills (northeast quadrant) and Fergus Falls (southwest quadrant).

In 2021 Scott County, southwest of the Twin Cities, became the first county in Minnesota to create a formal network of Family Resource Centers. Each center in Scott County established a parent advisory council to help guide it.

One of the top community strengths identified across focus groups relates to the positive aspects of living in a small town. Many participants expressed appreciation for the wide range of resources available to them. 

County board members in Otter Tail County agree that establishing Family Resource Centers here in west central Minnesota is well worth the effort. The five commissioners, on July 9, all expressed thanks for the grant provided by the Sauer Family Foundation.

“All across the nation are success stories about economic self-sufficiency, family resiliency, child nurturing and improvements in children’s educational success,” Sjostrom said.