Every Barrier Removed.
Every Child Rising.
Every day, children across Detroit walk into school carrying burdens no child should have to bear. Many are grieving the loss of a parent or caregiver. Many are experiencing homelessness or moving from place to place without stability. Others are living through deep uncertainty, trying to navigate life without the basic essentials every child deserves. These are not rare situations. This is the daily reality for thousands of DPSCD students.
The Family and Community Engagement Department (FACE) is the team families turn to when crisis hits. FACE meets students and families at their most vulnerable moments and provides the kind of compassionate, practical support that helps them regain stability. Their work is deeply human and deeply necessary.
FACE’s support is comprehensive and wraparound. They connect families to emergency housing assistance, transportation solutions, crisis intervention, and essential resources that help them weather their most difficult moments. They listen, they problem-solve, and they walk beside families through circumstances no child should ever have to experience.
Part of that work includes providing emergency essentials through 11 resource centers across the District. In times of crisis, these items become lifelines: full-size hygiene products, toothbrushes and toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, cleaning supplies, uniforms, undergarments, shoes, winter coats, pajamas, and food boxes that support entire households. These essentials may seem simple, but during a family’s hardest moment, they restore dignity and help children feel seen, safe, and ready to learn.
Real families. Real hardship.
Real impact.
A grandmother became the guardian of five grandchildren overnight after a devastating loss. She was overwhelmed, grieving herself, and unsure how she would care for them. FACE delivered food, clothing, hygiene items, and housing support. One of the children told us:
“It felt like someone finally saw what we were going through.”
A mother who is deaf was completely isolated and struggling to access even the most basic supplies for her children. FACE stepped in with care, communication support, and dignity. Her daughter shared:
“My mom cried because someone helped us without making her feel bad.”
Another parent was on the verge of a breakthrough — a job interview that could change everything — but she had no way to get there. FACE gave her a bus card. She got the job. Her family regained stability. Her daughter said:
“She told us things were going to be okay. I hadn’t heard her say that in a long time.”
And one student who had been missing school said he stopped coming because he felt embarrassed wearing the same clothes every day. After receiving uniforms, hygiene items, and essentials, he told us:
“I didn’t want people to look at me before. Now I feel like I fit in again.”
These are our children. These are our families. And this is what FACE does every single day. One parent summed it up perfectly:
“I was drowning. FACE helped me breathe again.”
Assistant Superintendent Sharlonda Buckman says it best:
“Our families are carrying more than ever. FACE steps in to ease that load, restore dignity, and keep students connected to school. We walk with them through their hardest moments, and we can only do that because of partners who believe in our children.”
