Together 4 Families is the combined Early Childhood and De-categorization Project that serves Bremer, Butler, Franklin and Grundy Counties. Together 4 Families focuses on community planning for families with children. Planning for Together 4 Families focuses on promoting child safety, permanency, academic preparation and skill development, child and family well-being, offender rehabilitation, as well as safe and secure communities. Together 4 Families utilizes the community planning process to identify existing resources for families with children and gaps in services. Together 4 Families then utilizes the resources it has available to help address those gaps. In order to accomplish that, a broad base of representation is needed in the planning process and on the Together 4 Families Governance Board. Together 4 Families has a 15 member board that helps to make policy, practice and funding decisions. Beginning on July 1st, 2012, there will be an education representative vacancy on the board. To maintain gender balance on the board, a female education representative would be preferred. To serve in this capacity, the potential representative must have knowledge of the early education system. The representative must also be a resident of Bremer, Butler, Franklin or Grundy Counties. To prevent any potential conflict of interest, the potential representative must not receive any funding directly or indirectly from Together 4 Families. The representative must be willing and able to attend planning and governance board meetings on the second Thursday of each month. The planning committee meetings are held from 8:30 to 10:30 AM and the governance board meetings are held from 10:30 to 11:30 AM at the Allison Public Library. If you would like to learn more about this opportunity to serve as an education representative on the Together 4 Families Governance Board, please contact Shawna Lebeck at 319-267-2594 or slebeck@dhs.state.ia.us.