The collaborative resources are accessed through tthe communities of Apple Valley, Eagan, and Rosemount. The clusters are composed of representatives from agencies in those areas who serve children and families. This model allows the clusters to customize the collaborative to meet the needs of their community. The combined clusters meet every other month. (Individual clusters do not meet separately.) The cluster meeting is a wonderful way to access collaborative support and obtain valuable information about community resources available to meet the needs of the families in need. It also provides a format for confidential brainstorming and problem solving for service providers as they attempt to help meet the complex needs of families. The cluster meetings are also the place where Flex Fund Requests are presented. Unless the request is an emergency, the Flex Fund Request needs to be presented at a cluster meeting to get approval. This process allows for the partners to respond in a collaborative way to the needs of the family. To find out meeting times and place, please check the Calendar page or contact Anne Kalb at (651)-683-6969 #94933.