Margaretville Central School Partners with Delaware County Preventive Services to Strengthen Family Support

MARGARETVILLE – Margaretville Central School (MCS) has announced a collaborative partnership with Delaware County Preventive Services to expand resources for families, ensuring that students and caregivers in the district have the support they need to thrive.

This partnership is deeply aligned with the mission of the Delaware County Department of Social Services, which is:

“to provide economic assistance and opportunity as well as social service support activities to eligible families and individuals. When all other support structures of society, including family, fail, we shall intervene to provide assistance and service support to meet individual and family needs in a timely and courteous manner so they may achieve the greatest degree of self-responsibility and independence possible.”

For MCS, this mission connects directly to its work in building strong community partnerships and ensuring that families have equitable access to support services. By emphasizing “preventive services” rather than solely “social services,” the district and county hope to reduce stigma and create a welcoming pathway for families to seek help.

“We are in both a fortunate and unfortunate position as a small rural school,” said Superintendent Michelle Childress Osterhoudt. “If these services don’t exist, we often need to build them ourselves through partnerships. Delaware County Preventive Services allow us to meet families where they are, with dignity and respect, so that challenges don’t escalate into crises.”

As part of its commitment to student well-being, MCS is also in the process of building its new school counseling team, expanding its ability to provide on-site support for students and families. This initiative will work hand-in-hand with Delaware County Preventive Services, ensuring that families can access a full continuum of care—within the school and through the county.

Through this collaboration, families will gain access to counseling, parent support, and coordinated community resources designed to strengthen stability, foster resilience, and improve outcomes for students. Both MCS and Delaware County share a commitment to treating families with dignity, protecting their self-worth, and promoting independence while maximizing the effective use of public resources.

“This partnership is about empowering families,” Osterhoudt added. “When schools and county services work together, we can open more doors to opportunity for our students and ensure no one feels alone in the process.”