All in the Family, Spring 2012

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statewide headquarters – 464 chestnut street | manchester, nh 03101 | 1-800-640-6486 | 1-603-518-4000 | www.cfsnh.org

the science of compassion. the art of humanity.

Has your daughter been Snookified?!!

Social subterfuge: The sexualization of young girls in America I

CULTURAL TRENDS

In a 2010 report, the Kaiser Family

their daughters breast enlargement surgery as a sweet-16 birthday gift.

Cable shows like 16 and Pregnant may serve to glamorize more than document the issue (i.e. if you make bad choices, you can end up on TV and be famous).

And don’t underestimate the power of the printed page. Tween readers of Seventeen magazine discovered “405 ways to look hot” while actual 17-year-olds have moved onto reading Cosmopolitan where they can learn “100 ways to be good in bed.” Huffington Post reported that 63 percent of these girls trust what Model, Kaelyn Galligan, age 11 they read in magazines.

Foundation revealed that children ages where, now, violence and sex ARE the Streaming into their ears at least 8 to 18 are exposed to about 11 hours clutter and they’ve permeated the daily 20 times more than their history or math of media in a typical day. More than lives of our youth. The lines between lessons, is modern pop music, including 80 percent of popular teen TV shows pop culture and porn are increasingly hip hop and gangsta rap, in which sex, contain sexual content. This has been blurred. drugs, violence, raunch, guns and blaThe Kaiser Family Foundation and tent objectification of women and girls allowed to grow over the past three decades since the Federal Trade Com- other research organizations also run rampant. Today’s kids are learning mission was stripped of its powers found that sexual content aimed at more from Jay Z than from JFK. to oversee child-targeted advertising young children has increased steadily And if that isn’t enough of a kick in the hot-pants…the internet, including “As a culture we do almost nothing to promote healthy sexuality social media, is a hot-bed of sexual “exploration” and misinformation for in young women or men,” says Monica Zulauf, executive director, today’s youth. Technology’s newest YWCA-Manchester, NH. “Children are being raised in a sex-saturated frontier, mobile media, puts sex mesculture where they are bombarded with idealized images of men and saging (sexting) literally in the hands of women that are impossible to achieve. Women particularly are porkids. They have become the purveyors trayed in provocative poses, suggestively dressed, impossibly thin, of their own exploitation.

“Partly, this is a parenting issue and Photoshopped to proportions that do not exist in nature.” where we have had a generation of very and since the Federal Communications since the 1990s and is skewing younger permissive, laissez-faire or busy parCommission’s deregulation of chil- all the time…Toddlers and Tiaras a ents who do not know how to say no,” says CFS clinician, Marie Opie Williams, dren’s television and other aspects of prime example.

The new trend in news and reality TV MSW/LICSW. “Our kids are numbed up the industry.

In today’s world of media overload, is feeding fuel to the fire. Mainstream to sex and violence with video games marketers have tried to break through media has covered the rise in teen plas- and a steady diet of media. The interthe clutter by ramping up the shock tic surgery, teetering between fright net is a tool, but we put tools in the factors of violence and sex to the point and fascination at mom’s who give SNOOKIFIED cont. on Page 17

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n the summer of 2010, the number one television series for persons age 12–34 was the “reality” show, Jersey Shore. The show depicts “real” characters who spend their days being stupid, having sex, getting drunk, and for that, being rich and famous and landing on Barbara Walters’ “Most Fascinating People” list. According to Cynopsis Kids, the children’s media news site, Jersey Shore has continually ranked # 1 for teens 12 -17. It has been dubbed a cultural phenomenon.

What does that that say about our culture?

What does that say about the youth generation?

Is Snookie your daughter’s new role model? Well, if she is, we can’t blame Snooks for that. She is who she is. But we CAN point to television producers, advertisers, merchandisers, parents, viewers and consumers alike for giving impetus to such programs and for creating a culture that sexualizes young girls in America. It’s a vicious cycle of sorts; the more viewers watch, the more ratings rise, the more advertisers buy in and the more Snook on air. Likewise, the more consumers demand, the more stores supply, the more merchandisers create and the more Snook on your T-shirt.

But this article isn’t about Jersey Shore. Rather, it’s about what the show represents and what its popularity signifies: sex sells. Specifically, sex is defining a new generation. And even more specifically, it is manifest in our daughters’ lives.

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cfs photo gallery Family Fun Fair

Governor honors parents in the ‘Unsung Hero’ awards “I’ve had lots of titles in my life and the most important is Dad,” said Governor John Lynch at a recent ceremony to honor parents and caregivers from across New Hampshire.

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Photos courtesy of Howard Fohlin of Millennium Integrated Marketing

A client of the CFS Parenting Plus program, Doris Zinnah of Manchester is a loving and responsible mother to her four children and also willingly takes in kids in need. As a refugee from Liberia, Doris has overcome poverty and prejudice and works very hard to provide for her family economically, physically, and emotionally.

Parenting New Hampshire magazine hosted its Family Fun Fair once again to benefit Child and Family Services of NH. The event attracted hundreds of families from throughout southern NH who had the opportunity to revel in all the many festivities including a petting zoo, climbing wall, bouncy houses, Thomas the Tank Engine train rides, face painting, games, prizes and visits with “super-heroes and fairy-tale stars” like Spider-Man and Cinderella. And, everyone got the chance to be a princess, too! A great day for families and for the community! Special thanks to all involved with making this event such a success and for putting philanthropy into FUN-faising!

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

A private nonprofit serving children and families since 1850 All in the Family is a publication of Child and Family Services. CFS is a founding member of the Child Welfare League of America and a United Way funded agency.

Child and Family Services Statewide Headquarters 464 Chestnut Street Manchester, NH 03101 phone: (603) 518- 4000 fax: (603) 668-6260 www.cfsnh.org

Marilyn Mahoney Chairperson of the Board

Michael R. Ostrowski, MSW President/CEO

Ruth Zax, M.Ed., CFRE Development Director

CFS client, Erica Cheney of Nashua, pictured here with her son, Landon, was recognized for her ability to overcome life’s obstacles while raising her “little guy,” and for her exemplary parenting and advocacy skills.

The New Hampshire Children’s Trust/Prevent Child Abuse New Hampshire presented its 5th annual Unsung Hero Awards earlier this year at the NH State House. Governor John Lynch, along with the NHCTF, recognized 29 parents and caregivers for being heroes to their children and role models for their community. Their inspirational stories exemplify the values and traditions that make New Hampshire a wonderful place for children and families.

During the ceremony, Governor Lynch issued a proclamation declaring February as Parent Recognition month, acknowledging that more parents each year are developing vital partnerships with service providers, policymakers, and key stakeholders, to shape policy and to create safer communities for children.

James Walsh, president of the Henniker Rotary Club, and Michelle Galligan and Sarah O’Reilly of CFS. Sarah and Michelle spoke to the Rotary as part of their outreach efforts to raise awareness about the need for foster families in New Hampshire.

Child and Family Services is an independent nonprofit agency dedicated to advancing the well being of children by providing an array of social services to strengthen family life, and by promoting community commitment to the needs of children.

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

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from the president Scientists say that children’s mental health affects how they socialize, how they learn, and how well they meet their potential.

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his quote from the Frameworks Institute is the best description of the interaction between the environment in which children live, and their developmental progress, that I have seen. Programs at Child and Family Services take this comprehensive, holistic approach, looking at the child within the context of family and environment--the foundation or the “floor” on which the child rests. It’s at the core of our practice.

This concept is exemplified in this issue of All in the Family where you’ll see stories about solving social problems and how we are creating solid foundations upon which our children and society can flourish.

You’ll see a story about our Street Outreach program. When it’s youth on the street, we work to first, provide survival aid, and then help them to safety, stability and self-sufficiency, working with schools, police, businesses, and a other agencies all along the way.

You’ll read about our work in the prison systems. When it’s children of incarcerated parents, we work with the corrections system, the parents, the relatives, foster parents, and government services to protect the child and prepare the parent for successful return to the community and the family.

It’s important to note that our efforts come not only at the direct service level, but at the state level, where our advocacy program lobbies for legislation that will shape laws and public policies to protect the best interests of our children and advance the well-being of our entire society. With policy AND practice, we are treating the WHOLE of

Michael Ostrowski, President/CEO

Child and Family Services Boards of Directors Board of Trustees Elaine Brody William Conrad Gail Garceau Sally Kriebel Bradford Kuster, Esq. Peggy Lambert Marilyn Mahoney, Esq. Willard “Bud” Martin Deborah McLane Carter Lynne Stahler Gregory Swope Esq. Kerry Uhler Concord Regional Board Susan Bowie Martha Cunningham Wit Jones James Laboe, Esq. Jinjue Pak, Esq. Maureen Redmond Scura Harriet Resnicoff Gregory Swope, Esq. Julie Yerkes Manchester Regional Board Kristen Blanchette, Esq. Dawn Champiny Justin Conrad Jeanine Kilgallen, Esq. Peggy Lambert Deborah Mijal Mona Movafaghi, Esq. David Savastino Maria White

North Country Advisory Board Dr. Brian Beals Irene Bean Elaine Belanger Kate McCosham Dr. Richard & Evalyn Merrick Cid Southworth Laconia Regional Board Patricia Farley-Williams Patti Hines Sally Kriebel Wendy Lasch-Williams David Levesque Seacoast Regional Board Tracy Bernson, Esq. Patricia Frim, Esq. Laura Gaedtke-Friedman Polly Hall, Esq. Mary Koehan Ganz David Reid Scott Righini Upper Valley Regional Board Suzanne Dudley-Schon Sara Ecker Deborah McLane Carter Samantha Pause David Pierce Lauren Rosen Lynn Sheldon Stephanie Singleton

The CFS annual reports are now online.

Visit www.cfsnh.org

CFS office locations Manchester Office Statewide Headquarters 464 Chestnut St. Manchester, NH 03105 800-640-6486 or 603-518-4000 Fax: 603-668-6260 www.cfsnh.org Email: info@cfsnh.org Teen Resource Center 99 Hanover St. Manchester, NH 03105 800-640-6486, 603-518-4170 Claremont Office 169 Main, Suite 218 Claremont, NH 03743 603-542-0053 Fax: 603-542-1253

Colebrook Office 107 Main St. Colebrook , NH 03576 603-237-4884

Franklin Office 841 Central St. Franklin, NH 03235 603-934-4885 Fax: 603-934-1465

Nashua Office 112 West Pearl St. Nashua, NH 03060 603-889-7189 Fax: 603-889-7104

Concord Office 103 No. State St. Concord, NH 03301 603-224-7479 Fax: 224-7445

Lancaster 25 Main St. Lancaster, NH 03584 603-788-4172

Portsmouth Office 1 Junkins Ave. Portsmouth NH 03801 603-433-3109

Group Home 238-240 N. Main St. Concord, NH 03301 603-224-9313 Fax: 603-228-3052 Derry Office 48 West Broadway Derry, NH 03038 603-432-8362 Exeter Office 9 Hampton Rd. Exeter, NH 03833 603-772-3786 Fax: 603-772-3787

Lakes Region Office 95 Water Street Laconia, NH 03246 603-524-5835 Fax: 524-7862 Littleton Office 28 Lafayette Ave Littleton, NH 03561 603-444-0418 Fax: 603-444-5919

Upper Valley Office W. Lebanon Village Plaza 3 Atwood Ave. W. Lebanon, NH 03784 603-298-8237 Fax: 603-298-8237 Camp Spaulding 125 River Road Penacook, NH 03303 603-753-9337 www.campspaulding.org

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“One way to think about child mental health is that it’s like the levelness of a piece of furniture, say, a table. The levelness of a table is what makes it usable and able to function, just like the mental health of a child is what enables him or her to function and do many things. Some children’s brains develop on floors that are level. This is like saying that the children have healthy, supportive relationships, and access to things like good nutrition and health care. For other children, their brains develop on more sloped or slanted floors. This means they’re exposed to abuse or violence, have unreliable or unsupportive relationships, and don’t have access to key programs and resources. Remember that tables can’t make themselves level — they need attention from experts who understand levelness and stability and who can work on the table, the floor, or even both. We know that it’s important to work on the floors and the tables early, because little wobbles early on tend to become big wobbles later. So, in general, a child’s mental health is like the stability and levelness of a table.”

– From a recent report on children’s mental health by the Frameworks Institute.

the problem.

And then there’s our lead story, which examines a growing problem across America: The sexualization of young girls. In the article, you’ll see how the problem permeates almost every aspect of our world, from media (which serves as both offender and reporter, too), to schools (which serve as both hotbed and hope), to corporate America, (which profits and propagates), to parents who are at once empowered and pressured by the new societal “norm.”

While in past issues of this newsletter we’ve reported on the unique challenges girls face, never has there been, at least in our culture and lifetime, a more frightening prognosis for young girls. The social and environmental pressures they experience are unprecedented.

There is evidence that for at least decades, people have had a sort of moral intuition that sexualization of young girls is a problem. The feminist movement surely brought it to light, but women’s colleges, giving circles, professional associations and empowerment projects, alongside evergreen organizations like the YWCA, Girls, Inc., Girl Scouts, and Child and Family Services, have long been on at the forefront of stemming the tide of the social torrent. Indeed, much has been done to protect and empower our girls, but the battle is certainly not yet won.

Now is a good time for all factions of our community to come to the table—to have conversations about this topic, to be proactive in the areas of prevention and intervention, and to consider all the ways we can help to level the table of the girls in our lives.

With this story and with all this publication’s editorial content, we hope to get you thinking about how you fit in to the realm of society. You may not know a homeless teen, but you are likely passing her on your way to work every day. You may not know an incarcerated dad, but your child probably sits next to his child in school. You may not know a girl in trouble, but tomorrow she may be your child. Left unaddressed, these individuals’ problems will very definitely affect your conscience and the stability of your world for a long time to come.

Please consider yourself in the context of the social world around you. Consider all the ways you can play a part in not only building foundations for our families and leveling the table for all kids, but in establishing a strong social structure that supports the values and ideals we set forth for our own lives. As Herman Melville said, “We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.”

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Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

HOMELESSNESS IN MANCHESTER

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MANCHESTER -- Alone in a strange city, sleeping under a bridge, Chris Willott was out of options. Fresh off a bus from Louisiana, with no friends, no food and no place to stay, for him the winter months ahead began to look like his final moments more than his future.

All that changed the night he was handed a little red card promoting Child and Family Services of New Hampshire’s Teen Resource Center.

“I got off the bus last Halloween, and the snowbanks were like up to my neck,” Willott told a reporter at a small gathering at the resource center. “I was crashing under a bridge, in an ice storm down near the Verizon Arena. I came here and they actually helped me get clothing. I now have an apartment. I have employment. I have income. They helped me get back into schooling, with no questions asked. I slept outside in an ice storm and had fourth-degree frostbite on my feet. If it wasn’t for this, I would have probably died.”

Based at 99 Hanover St., the resource center has a network of staff and volunteers that stretches across the Queen City and beyond. To the many who pass by on a daily basis, there is little evidence that the glass doors and storefront-like exterior mark the spot where so many come for a fresh start in life. But talk to someone helped by the “404’’ — a moniker from the days when the center was located at 404 Chestnut St. — and the power of the place becomes apparent.

“I was very suicidal before I came here, so without the 404, I am pretty sure I would have ended up killing myself,” said Katie Paquette, 18, who said she was kicked out of her house by her mother at age 13.

“Some people look down on us because they think it’s our choice to be homeless, but it’s not our choice,” Paquette said. “About a year ago, I was homeless. The 404 helped me get the confidence, helped support me emotionally, helped me keep clothes on my back when it’s cold. If I have no food in my house, they help me get food. They help us get all the utilities we could possibly need and apply for the first time for food stamps. Everybody respects

Learning the program Mark Crandall, an Outreach team member, said: “When I first started here, I was so gung-ho that we were going to save so many lives, all over Manchester.

Everyone would get into school, and we would, like, start essentially a commune of ex-homeless youth.

“But I realized very quickly that you Mark Crandall, left, and Erin Kelly, check for homeless youth in this large culvert by the Merrimack River at dusk, in Manchester. have to assess what needs are important to them when you meet them. What the 404 for what they do for us. They spend about 30 hours a week walking I feel would be important might not be opened my eyes to a lot of programs city streets to locate homeless youths as important to them at that point as that can help you.” and offer them food, shelter and other getting a clean pair of socks is.” services — all free of charge.

It was through the efforts of the “Child and Family Services actually ‘Unclaimed souls’ Street Outreach program that Willott saw in the 1970s that there was a real Child and Family Services of New connected with the teen center. gap in services for runaways and homeHampshire is an independent, nonprofit “I ran into an intern during their agency dedicated to advancing the wellstreet outreaching,” said being of children through an array of Willott. “She had come social services designed to strengthen down under the bridge to family life and promote community hand out snacks, and she assistance. said, ‘Why don’t you come The oldest children’s charitable orgato the center and check nization in the state, Child and Family things out?’ I did, and everyServices started in 1850 as the Manone was completely nice.” chester City Missionary Society, whose Willott said he came to purpose was to “save the unclaimed New Hampshire after his souls of the city.” By the end of the girlfriend became pregnant century, it had added the distribution and moved back here with of donated food, clothing and fuel to its her parents. He headed Katie Paquette, smiles during an interview as Justin Wolbert, a street efforts, and in 1967, it changed its name outreach worker looks on. north from Louisiana to take to Child and Family Services. Today, a paternity test and stayed CFS serves about 15,000 children and less youth, and that’s how it started,” here to be nearby after determining the said Erin Kelly, manager of the Street baby was his. their families statewide each year.

Its Runaway and Homeless Youth Outreach program. “We help them fig“The staff here are awesome,” said Program, started in 1973, offers preven- ure out what their goals are in life and Willott. “They help you with anything tion services, crisis intervention and how we can help them move towards you need. Being from out of state, it counseling to young runaways living on achieving those goals.” would be hard for me to get transcripts Kelly and her team members are and paperwork, but they never asked the street or youth at risk of becoming seeing firsthand what has become a for anything like that. They just help, homeless. growing problem in the state. The New no questions asked. This is one of the Hampshire Department of Education only programs that is strictly based for Looking to help reports that over a four-year period, The center has also had an outreach the number of homeless students in younger homeless people in this state.

If they can’t help you, they know someprogram since 1996. Staff members the state increased by 44 one who can.” percent, from 1,439 in 2006The program has a wide support 07 to 2,573 in 2009-10 (of network. these, 12 percent were “We really try to have a wide array staying in shelters, while 2 of funding sources because, that way, percent said they were liv- if one funding source dries up, we’re ing “unsheltered,’’ staying not in a position where we’re looking under bridges or in cars or at closing up a whole program,” said tents).

Kelly.

“In a year’s time, we have almost 1,100 kids walk Funding through that door, and most Chris Willott, talks about his life on the streets and the help he has of them have a significant Child and Family Services receives received from Child and Family Services of NH, with his girlfriend abuse and trauma history,” federal funding through the Runaway Katie Paquette, looking on.

Photo by: Thomas Roy/Union Leader

A special feature by Paul Feely, New Hampshire Union Leader

Photo by: Thomas Roy/Union Leader

The ‘404’ offers homeless youths a lifeline in dire times

Photo by: Thomas Roy/Union Leader

SEARCHING THE STREETS

said Kelly. “They don’t trust people, they don’t open up to people, and you have to earn their trust. That’s why we do the Street Outreach program.

Sometimes it’s going out and running into the same person three, four, five times before they say, ‘Okay, I’m going to go check the center out.’ If each one of us can make a difference to just one kid, then maybe their life is going to be different because of that.”

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Street Outreach Photo by: Thomas Roy/Union Leader

As the Street Outreach team checks for runaway and homeless youth, they checked on this adult homeless man who is sleeping and intoxicated, by the Merrimack River.

MANCHESTER — From 40 yards away, it’s almost impossible to tell whether the oversize lump under the Granite Street Bridge is a heap of rags or a person.

Until the lump moves.

That’s when members of the Child and Family Services of New Hampshire’s Street Outreach team move in.

“You have to be careful how you approach someone,” said Mark Crandall, one of a handful of staff members at CSF’s Teen Resource Center who take to the streets of Manchester about 30 hours a week looking for homeless youths as part of the center’s Street Outreachprogram.

As night approaches, team members leave the center on Hanover Street and walk through back alleys and hangouts such as Victory Park and Veterans Memorial Park looking for anyone

without a home for the night. On this particular night, they scour the tunnels and brush along the banks of the Merrimack River behind Southern New Hampshire University before finding someone sleeping under the Granite Street Bridge.

Crandall approaches the person, who is covered in so many blankets that determining gender is impossible, but is unable to wake him or her. Crandall leave a red card nearby describing the center’s services, and the group moves on.

The Teen Resource Center provides basic necessities to anyone found wanting — food, showers, laundry facilities, clothes — as well as an array of support services — crisis counseling; respite care; substance abuse intervention and treatment; family support services; pregnancy counseling; educa-

life stable,” said Kelly. “She ended up finishing school, getting an apartment, and worked for us as a peer staff for a while. Now she works security at the airport, and she loves her job, is really successful, and it’s funny because now every time I fly out of the Manchester airport, I see her. She is happy and in a

good place.

About the center staff, Kelly said: “I think it takes a certain edge to work in this field and really make it. They are really here because they love doing this and it’s not just a job — that’s why it works.”

tional support; and help with housing state,” said Crandall. “There’s this group; they get these kids to sell magaand life skills.

Justin Wilburt, 21, is taking off a zines with the promise of travel. But semester from the University of New then, like this kid, if they don’t meet Hampshire to work with the Outreach their quota, they leave them in some state with nothing and take off. team.

“We found him — he was staying at a “It’s worked out really well for me because I was in such a transitional bus stop — with nothing. We were able point in my life,” said Wilburt. “I didn’t to help get him on a bus home to New know what job I wanted, and this just Jersey. That made that kid’s day.”

Team members wear jackets or opened up. I never thought about social work, but then I got in, and now I’ve sweatshirts identifying themselves as been here about six months.

I love it. It was a whole world that I didn’t know existed.”

Crandall says his team would regularly find homeless people sleeping in Victory Park and Veterans Memorial Park. Then the Occupy New Hampshire movement made camp last fall.

“A lot of the kids we would work with there, we saw them taking up with Occupy N.H.,” Lee Greenough, listens to his friends talk about being homeless said Crandall. “I think some and the help they have received from Child and Family Services. of them understood what the movement was about, but a lot of them members of the Outreach program, were just joining in to be part of some- and they carry no valuables with them. thing. When (Occupy activists) cleared Sometimes the terrain they cover can out, they went with them. We haven’t be treacherous, especially in winter, and the darker alleys can be intimidatreally seen anyone down here lately.”

Along the banks of the Merrimack, ing. But they say that what they take Crandall stops to point out what from the experience is almost as great appears to be the remnants of camp- as the support they give to others.

“I was raised in a regular middle-class sites — small piles of clothes and beer cans randomly strewn about under family, and I knew there were things like rock outcrops and near tunnels. “You homeless people, but I never really get to know the individuals by what knew they were kids my age,” said Wilthey leave,” said Crandall. “We check in burt. “Now, when I meet them and help with them, try to get them to come in to them out, it feels really good.” check out the center.”

Crandall said one night his team came across a youth who had been recruited to sell magazines.

“This kid, he knew no one in this

This Street Outreach feature package was written by PAUL FEELY, New Hampshire Union Leader with photos by TOM ROY, New Hampshire Union Leader. Reprinted with permission.

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Searching the city for homeless youths in need

Erin Kelly, program manager for the Street Outreach / Runaway and Homeless Youth Program of Child and Family Services, walks along Canal Street, with her team, checking on homeless youths.

Photo by: Thomas Roy/Union Leader

Photo by: Thomas Roy/Union Leader

and we have a great relationship with the Manchester School District, so if a student comes in and tells their guidance counselor ... ‘My mom kicked me out last night and I have no place to stay,’ they call us.”

“It’s tough to accept the help,” said Zach, who asked that his last name not be used. “It’s sort of a pride issue for me. I don’t Mark Crandall, talks to Brandy Lopez, left, of Manchester, about like to accept help, but when reaching out to homeless youths, with Justin Wolbert, behind you really need it, you really him talking to another man, also handing out invitations to youths or anyone who may know one, as they walk the city need it, and there’s nothing else streets. you can do about it. If it wasn’t Homeless Youth Act and partial fundfor this program, I don’t know where I’d ing from the federal Family and Youth be right now.

Services Bureau (which CFS applies for Kelly has been with the center for every three years), more than five years, long enough to “There’s also a wide range of charisee her own efforts, and those of her table organizations we receive funding staff, produce results. from as well as a mix of state and city “When I first started working, there funding,” said Kelly. “We receive Emerwas a young woman, a client of ours, gency Shelter Grant funds from the city, coming here and really trying to get her

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Photo by: Thomas Roy/Union Leader

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

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CFS launches pilot program for youth aging out of system Y

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outh aging out of foster care or residential placement, and at-risk youth transitioning to early independence from unstable circumstances, face many challenges that can interfere with their successful transition to adulthood. Unemployment, poor educational outcomes, homelessness and inadequate health care are some of the obstacles they face. These youth are at risk for negative outcomes, which ultimately affects their well-being and that of their communities due to the costs associated with homelessness, incarceration and substance abuse.

In our society, families continue to support young adults until significantly past their 18th birthdays.

Many NH families pay for at least part of the college costs for their children. It is also common for 20-somethings to live with their parents and to receive financial support to pay for costs of living. At the very least, most families provide emotional support to help their children navigate their way into self-sufficiency and adulthood.

Foster and at-risk youth lack this natural support network. These teens have experienced much trauma. They may have been removed from their homes, lived with multiple foster families, kicked out of their homes, couch-surfed with acquaintances, and been involved with the juvenile justice system.

Studies show that the transition into adulthood is fraught with challenges for these youth. They are less likely to achieve high school and postsecondary completion, thus jeopardizing their chances at self-sufficiency. When employed, they are underemployed and are more likely to be in jobs that do not pay a living wage. They are more likely to experience violence, homelessness, mental illness, teen pregnancy and poor health.

Solution – the Child and Family Services proposal Child and Family Services has the capacity to provide a package of services, called Intensive Transitional Living Services (ITLS), to at-risk youth ages 17-21.

These services will be available to youth in central NH who are aging out of the foster care or residential placement system, and are at-risk youth who have strained relations with their parent(s) or guardian(s) and for whom at-home living is not feasible or conducive. CFS will provide these emerging young adults with comprehensive supports to guide them as they transition to independent living.

CFS will also provide collaboration between its ISO (Individualized Service Options) Foster Care, Group Home (GH), and Transitional Living (TLP) programs.

The Agency will develop individualized transitional and independent living plans to meet the needs of 17-18 year old clients who have the ability and the willingness to live in an independent living environment. Youth deemed appropriate for the program will receive support and case management through the ISO, GH and TLP staffs, and live in a foster home, our group home, one of our TLP facilities, or apartments dedicated to this purpose.

Services will include: • Clinical assessment of individual independent living skills • Creation and implementation of treatment plans • Structured therapeutic, educational, recreational and experiential activities • Development of natural, positive community networks • Attempts to secure a permanent resource family or other positive adult connections • Experiential instruction in smart shopping, nutrition and food preparation • Workshops including life skills development and healthy relationships • Services supportive of educational goals • Job training and search assistance • Restitution and community service activities • Access to CFS Group Home, resource or respite home • Family counseling

How the program works Youth referred to ITLS are initially placed at either the CFS group home or a specialized foster home where they will have a comprehensive assessment of their skills and needs. Based on the assessment, a specific plan is developed and implemented by assigned case managers.

When youth demonstrate that they have made sufficient gains in their skills to advance to an independent setting, they progress to a training apartment with roommates and support by a team of CFS ISO case managers. The apartment is located where there is access to employment and services. Proximity to permanent resource family and positive adult connections is also considered. The case managers provide support with such things as budgeting, meal planning, landlord relations, employment search, and higher education goals.

First client - case in point CFS started ITLS in December with the referral of a 17 year old girl, “Colleen,” who was bouncing between her parents and friend’s houses while trying to stay in high school and keep her job at a local restaurant. She was admitted to the group home, and transferred to Concord High School. It is hoped that she will have the savings needed to move into her

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services own place when she turns 18 this summer.

To get ready for Colleen’s move, CFS needed to secure a place and some furniture. After an exhaustive search, CFS found a sympathetic landlord who was willing to meet our budgetary needs. Furniture came through the numerous donations from staff and their families, and even her parole officer.

In January, Colleen moved into a sunny apartment in Concord. She receives daily support through GH and ISO staffs. She gets a ride to high school each day by GH staff, and she grocery shops with GH staff weekly. As well, she has daily contact and support from her ISO case manager.

Today, Colleen is mapping out goals for her future, a task that seemed unrealistic when she was faced with day-to-day survival fears and laden by her early life’s instability. The future is looking much brighter now than it did just four months ago. Colleen embodies the critical nature of this new pilot program and exemplifies how it is filling unmet needs of an often overlooked, under-valued and misunderstood population. Still new, the program has already made a difference in bridging at-risk youth with their own well-being and potential to become contributing members of society.

For further information, contact Ed Orlowski, orlowskie@cfsnh.org.

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

www.cfsnh.org

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A LEGEND AND A LEGACY

Kuenning appointed advocacy director for Child and Family Lightfoot retires from Child and Family Services Services of NH

Jack Lightfoot

Jack will be missed, but his legacy will be felt by all of us for generations to come!

Keith Kuenning of Bow, NH, was appointed earlier this year as the director of the NH Children’s Lobby, the advocacy wing of Child and Family Services of NH. Kuenning previously served as the executive director for the New Keith Kuenning Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness where he managed all aspects of the organization including programming, public policy development and analysis, financial operations, government relations, media and public relations, fund development, and board relations.

He also served for two years as the chair of the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Prior to his work with the Coalition, Kuenning worked as a researcher with the NH Charitable Foundation and as a teacher of English and ethics at a high school in Nepal.

Kuenning’s academic degrees include a Juris Doctor from The American University - Washington College of Law, and a Master of Arts in Law and International Affairs from The American University - School of International Service.

As director of advocacy for CFS, Kuenning will work to improve the lives of children through legislative, judicial and public policy initiatives. Kuenning succeeds Jack Lightfoot, who recently retired after 37 years as the CFS advocacy director.

Child and Family Services honors Lightfoot with Voice for Children Award

OH THE LEGACY HE LEAVES: Alycia Niolet (left), age 7, and Fantasia Brooks (right), age 5, helped to present Jack with the Voice for Children award.

Child and Family Services of New Hampshire presented its long-time advocate, Jack Lightfoot of Goffstown, NH, with the Voice for Children Award, an honor bestowed yearly to a New Hampshire citizen who has shown an outstanding commitment to and made a tremendous difference in the lives of children and families.

For 26 years, CFS has presented the Voice for Children Award to an advocate of note in the community.

This is first time it had been given to one of its own.

The award was presented at Lightfoot’s retirement

party, which was held in December at the KimballJenkins Estate in Concord. Over 160 people including legislators, advocates, philanthropists, educators, community leaders, social workers and many past and present CFS staff and board members, turned out to honor Lightfoot’s legacy.

At the event, CFS announced that going forward, the award will be named “The Jack Lightfoot Voice for Children Award.”

In his thank-you address to members of the CFS extended family, Lightfoot said, “It is indeed a high honor to receive the Voice for Children Award. I accept it, not as an individual, but I hope as a symbol of what can be accomplished when many people work together. Naming the award after me is just beyond my belief. In my mind, it puts me in the same category of other people who I hold up as heroes—particularly Bruce Friedman and Teddy Nardi and Major Wheelock.

I never thought of myself in the same league as those three and I am moved beyond words by the thought that you think I am worthy.”

Further, Lightfoot expressed his gratitude to the CFS organization for enabling him to engage for all these years in work he cares deeply about, which is “protecting and promoting the health, safety and well-being of our children.”

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In December, 2011, Jack Lightfoot retired from Child and Family Services after 37 years as one of the premier child advocates in the state.

As director of the NH Children’s Lobby, the advocacy wing of CFS, Lightfoot, is credited for shaping or influencing many laws and public policies that guard children’s rights and serve their needs. Under his direction, the CFS advocacy program, in conjunction with concerned citizens, has advanced the well-being of children and families in many ways including, but not limited to, the following: Revised child abuse and neglect laws, launched the Foster Care Health Project, co-founded NH CARES and the NH Children’s Alliance, cowrote the guardianship of minors law, promoted day care licensing, evolved a restorative juvenile justice model, revised action settlement laws to ensure availability and stability of critical services to children, shepherded every change in adoption laws since the laws were written, and championed CHINS (Children in Need of Services).

Lightfoot explains, “Here, at CFS, I have been able to match my own commitment to disempowered people with that of a large, nonprofit organization dedicated to similar goals. The advocacy team at CFS has been an effective, and at times, the only voice speaking out for abused and neglected children, children in trouble with the law, children and families in poverty, children in foster care, and children with disabilities.”

Lightfoot has served on the boards of several organizations including the Disability Rights Center, Manchester Mental Health Center, NH Association of Mental Health, NH Legal Assistance, and he served on the last “Action Committee for Foster Care” in the country. He also supervised the writing of the Guardian ad Litem Law and is the chair of the GAL board. In addition, he has served on the court improvement project and permanency planning task force.

“Jack Lightfoot is one of those quiet heroes that children will never really hear about,” says Mike Ostrowski, president/CEO of Child and Family Services, “but their lives are so much safer and their well being protected because of his 37 years as their advocate.”

Well respected in his field, Lightfoot has been recognized numerous times by local and national organizations including EEIN (Early Education and Intervention Network of NH), and the Child Welfare League of America, among others.

“Everyone agrees that working for the well-

being of children is a high priority in a civilized society. That’s easy,” says Marilyn Mahoney, chair of the Child and Family Services board of trustees and advocacy committee. “Figuring out how to do that work, how to develop sensible policies for children, and then to implement those policies given the realities of politics, budget restraints, and competing interests -that is the hard part. It takes dedication, focus, research, education, hard work, wisdom, and a gentle heart.

“I am honored to have been privileged to work with him and to learn from him,” Mahoney continues. “His legacy will be enduring, and his name long will be recognized as that belonging to the best voice New Hampshire’s children could have.”

When asked how he has never wavered in his mission, even when it seemed an uphill battle, Lightfoot maintains, “You go forward anyway, because it’s the right thing to do. We can never give up trying for our kids.”

While Lightfoot “retires,” he never “rests” from his calling. He continues on with CFS, passing the torch to the Agency’s new advocacy director, Keith Kuenning, consulting, and sharing his expertise and wisdom with the NHCL advocacy committee.

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www.cfsnh.org

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

FOSTER FAMILIES NEEDED IN NH: WHY NOT YOU?

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his year, between 600 and 900 New Hampshire children will find themselves in need of foster homes. Most will have been removed from their own homes due to parental abuse or neglect.

They’ll range from birth to age 18, have a wide range of circumstances, and will hail from every corner of the state.

Unfortunately, at this time, there are not enough licensed foster homes that can accommodate all the children in need.

Child and Family Services of NH, a private, nonprofit, was recently contracted by the State Department of Health and Human Services, to serve as the official foster family recruiter for the State of New Hampshire. As such, CFS is reaching out to citizens across the state to raise awareness of and interest in fostering.

“To be a foster parent, you don’t need to be rich, be a homeowner, be married, already be a parent, or have a college degree,” says Michelle Galligan, foster care recruiter/specialist from Child and Family Services. “If you have a big heart, a home, and a sense of humor, you’ve got some of the key ingredients.”

While the trend has been somewhat positive, with fewer children in the foster care system today than in past years, the need is great for securing families in communities throughout the state with whom these children can be matched.

“Some children in need of a home are sibling groups, some are teenagers, some have special needs, some have cultural differences, and others are just like your kids or the kids you know,”

explains Galligan. “This is why we need to build a great pool of resource families. It’s traumatic enough for a child to be removed from the only home he or she has ever known, so we endeavor to place the child in the most appropriate environment that will be most conducive not only to the child, but to the foster family as well.”

Child and Family Services works with NH State District Offices in every county in an effort to ensure that when children need to be placed in care, that they can stay in their own communities, thereby remaining in their own school with their own friends and familiar comforts, and with the least amount of disruption.

The length of stay in foster care is different for each child.

When it is possible, and in the child’s best interest to repair and reconnect the family, services are put into place for that. Sometimes, relatives step in and provide kinscare. In cases where the parents will not regain custody, and there are no family

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD The 2012 gala/auction and partnership with RiverWoods

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hild and Family Services and RiverWoods at Exeter, once again join forces for a year-long partnership to culminate in the RiverWoods 9th biennial gala/auction, on Saturday, October 13, 2012.

As the Seacoast’s premier continuing care retirement community, RiverWoods has made it a part of its mission to not only provide a wonderful way of life for so many seniors, but together with its senior residents, to improve the quality of life for the greater community.

With that philosophy, throughout the year, RiverWoods staff and residents will join CFS in everything from cleanup days at Camp Spaulding, to staffing the phones at the WZID holiday radiothon, hosting parent-child playgroups, and compiling care kits for children in foster care. Residents are will also assist CFS in some research projects

for its advocacy initiatives. As well, RiverWoods staff members are part of the CFS running team in the Manchester City Marathon.

Then, on October 13, RiverWoods and CFS will stage the gala/auction, WONDERFUL WORLD, at RiverWoods’ newest campus, The Boulders. The event will feature silent and live auctions, and gourmet wine and food, and over 400 guests from throughout the state are expected to attend.

As one of the first nonprofits in the region to raise money for other nonprofits, RiverWoods has presented charitable events since its founding in 1994 and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various local charities. This is the second time CFS has been chosen as the beneficiary. The last gala raised over $70,000 for CFS. Proceeds from the gala event will support Child and Family Services’

options, the children in foster care are freed for adoption.

One of the obstacles to fostering is the fear of what it takes to become a foster parent. But CFS and the State Division for Children, Youth and Families, along with several social service partners throughout the state, provide a clear and comprehensive roadmap, along with training, resources and round-the-clock support for foster families.

“Fostering can be a greatly rewarding experience,” Galligan adds, “not only because you see how you are changing the life of a child, but by the love you receive in return.”

work with seacoast children and families in need including victims of abuse and neglect, children in foster care, atrisk babies, young children with developmental concerns, teens in trouble, new mothers, and impoverished families who are struggling to stay together and be self-sufficient.

Early lead sponsor of the 2012 WONDERFUL WORLD gala, is Bernson

Legal, PLLC. The RiverWoods – CFS partnership, bridges the generations, enriching the lives of people at every age and stage of life, and improving lives for generations to come.

If you would like to sponsor the event, donate to the auction or purchase tickets, please contact Penny Teodorczyk at 603-658-3031.

For further information on becoming a foster parent, visit cfsnh.org or call 603518-4250.

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

www.cfsnh.org

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Women’s Fund supports CFS work with children, incarcerated moms Reduce recidivism, strengthen families, improve outcomes for children Research asserts that children who are raised in the absence of a parent tend to have poorer emotional, psychological, social and financial outcomes than those raised by parents in a healthy, committed relationship. The prognosis is worse for children when a parent is incarcerated. Children of incarcerated parents often struggle with extended emotional problems stemming from the trauma of witnessing or experiencing criminal behavior at home and consequently, from separation. These children are five times more likely than their peers to enter the criminal justice system.

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most effective programs for women in the justice system are comprehensive, treating the individual while addressing their family and social challenges.

Without this comprehensive approach, women who return to the same situations and circumstances as before tend to repeat the cycle, further damaging their ability to parent and their childrens’ overall emotional health and ability to succeed.

This financial gift comes to CFS as part of the Women’s Fund’s new multi-

year grant program, Community Partnership Grants, which is focused on organizations that empower and build self-esteem for girls, end sexual and domestic violence, and ensure economic security for women and families.

According to Marianne Jones, executive director of the Women’s Fund, this extended support “allows us to have a long-term strategic partnership with organizations that are doing the work of improving the lives and futures of women and girls in our communities.”

C hildren of I ncarcerated P arents SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM Camp Spaulding of Child and Family Services has partnered with the Family Connections Center of the New Hampshire Department of Corrections to provide a summer camp experience for children who have a father incarcerated in the New Hampshire State Prison in Concord or Berlin.

The Children of Incarcerated Parents (CIP) summer camp program was created to help children in these special circumstances to realize that they are not alone, to share experiences with other children in similar situations, to have a traditional summer camp adventure, and get two amazing visits with their incarcerated father!

At Camp Spaulding, August 13 – 24, these children will have the opportunity to experience two weeks of overnight camping on 55 acres of forest along the Contoocook River. Adventures include swimming, canoeing, horseback riding, high and low ropes challenge courses, arts & crafts, theatre games, archery, hiking, and more.

CIP campers will have the added benefit of activities that are designed especially for them including opportunity to view documentaries created by children of incarcerated parents, field trip to spend rare quality time with their dad, mural project–created by children and their dad.

Having an incarcerated dad is a huge emotional and financial burden for the children and families left behind. The total cost for a full, two-week session for a CIP is $1,000. This pays for the camp costs, the transportation costs to the prison and food and art supplies for the two days at the prison.

It is our hope to have all CIP campers go to camp for FREE! Please help us provide the summer camp experience to these special kids, and help to make happy memories that will last a lifetime!

To register or sponsor a CIP camper, visit www.campspaulding.org or call 271-2255.

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ccording to a study by the NH Women’s Policy Institute, womens’ incarceration and involvement in NH’s criminal justice system is increasing at a faster pace than men’s, driven by a cycle of drugs, alcohol abuse and underlying factors like poverty, unemployment, history of childhood trauma, domestic violence, low education and mental health issues (Women Behind Bars, 2008). On any given day there are about 1880 women involved in the criminal justice system in New Hampshire, 430 of whom are behind bars, with an average of 2.2 children

each. Many will be released soon, back to their communities and families, and as the primary caregiver to their children.

With that in mind, the Women’s Fund of New Hampshire has awarded Child and Family Services a multi-year, $15,000 grant to support the agency’s work with children and their mothers who are incarcerated in New Hampshire State Prison for Women in Goffstown, and at Shea Farm in Concord .

Through our Parenting Plus program, CFS will use these funds to provide a continuum of services to incarcerated women and their children, including parent education and skill building, mental health therapy, child and family counseling, parent-child communication and bonding, substance abuse treatment, and job training, as well as assistance with education advancement, child care, housing and transitional support, health and safety, child welfare, and violence prevention.

Studies reveal that the key to decreasing recidivism and minimizing the negative impact of parental incarceration on children is to keep moms connected to their families and to encourage them to actively fulfill their role as caretaker of their children, while obtaining treatment for the underlying factors that led to their incarceration. The

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BECAUSE OF YOU INVEST YOUR IMPACT: CFS launches 2012 Annual Fund campaign

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Child and Family Services proudly launches its 2012 Annual Fund campaign with a goal of raising $142,000 to support critical and life-changing programs for New Hampshire children and families.

Special areas of focus for this year’s annual fund include our Family Counseling program, which for years has operated on a sliding fee scale. The sliding fee scale made it possible for low income families to afford the service, but our sliding fee scale is in jeopardy because of a range of funding cutbacks. It’s possible that with strong charitable contributions we can ensure that anyone who needs counseling, whether it’s for trauma, relationship conflicts, or addictive behaviors, has access to it. One session of counseling at Child and Family Services costs only $90 compared to the industry standard of $125, and we have the highest quality licensed therapists on staff.

Our second area of focus is our Healthy Families Home Visiting program which provides young, low-income mothers with the prenatal support they need to give birth to healthy babies. Healthy Families is proven to decrease the risk of birth defects and premature births, to strengthen the bonds between mothers and their infants, and to reduce the use of the neo-natal intensive care unit. This year, because of Medicaid mandates, nearly three quarters of the young women and their unborn babies will be cut from this program. On average, $85 per month can take an expectant mother through her pregnancy and her child through the first year of life.

By now, you should have received your Annual Fund letter in the mail. If you would like to make your annual fund gift today, please use your provided response envelope, or visit our website: www. cfsnh.org, or call (603) 518-4000. As always, we are grateful for your generosity to the families we serve, and we look forward to sharing more of their stories with you throughout the year.

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

INSPIRE INVOLVE INVEST

INVEST IN YOURSELF AND IN THE CAUSES THAT MATTER TO YOU

A Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) presents a unique opportunity to receive income for life, provide for a charitable organization you have supported in your lifetime, and realize certain tax advantages. CGA’s can be established with cash or with a gift of stock or securities and depending upon your age, returns far more in interest income to you than is available in traditional savings accounts or through dividends. Review our CGA chart on these pages, contact us for a personal illustration at zaxr@cfsnh.org and/ or talk to your professional advisor about the advantages of a CGA.

PLANNED GIVING

Choosing to leave a gift from the heart brings meaning, dignity and purpose to a life well lived. By including a planned gift in your will or estate plan, you can continue to participate in the charitable and community work that is most meaningful to you, in a way that allows your important causes to be well supported now and long into the future. Surprisingly, a gift can also be a very practical addition to a financial or estate plan when tax issues are taken into consideration

– even for those who think they may not have tax issues. In most cases, the tax burden left to relatives is lifted significantly. Your professional advisor can teach you how planned giving can benefit your family after you’re gone.

Let us tell you how you can continue to make a difference and have lasting impact. Contact Ruth Zax at zaxr@ cfsnh.org or at 603-518-4130.

A CONTRIBUTION FOR THE FUTURE

In life, many of us require some kind of assistance, whether it’s physical, financial or spiritual. It is during life’s many endeavors that we are often reminded that more could be done to continue personal philanthropy.

By leaving a gift in your memory you are making a significant contribution to the future sustainability of those charitable and not for profit organizations you value most. If you have supported Child and Family Services annually and this Agency has special meaning to you, consider making a provision in your will or estate plan to carry on your good intentions when you are no longer able to do so. Contact us to discuss the variety of ways and programs that can benefit from your support and talk to your professional advisor about your personal philanthropy plan.

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

www.cfsnh.org

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Healthcare GIVES awards Child and Family Services $33,000 to help at-risk youth Healthcare GIVES, a newly-formed giving circle for seacoast medical professionals, has named Child and Family Services the recipient of its inaugural 2011 grant award. The announcement was made during the group’s educational forum, “Access to Mental Health on the Seacoast,” held at the Community Campus at the end of 2011.

Healthcare GIVES is an organization of 165 members that is committed to growing healthy and abundant communities through action, education, and donation. Members pledge $200 annually, and collectively grant the funds to an area non-profit or program that shares their goal and meets the requirements of their annual theme. Four themes were considered last year, including palliative care, dental care, healthy life styles, and access to mental health care. The Giving Circle awarded $33,000 to CFS to provide access

to mental health services to runaway, homeless and street youth in the Seacoast region.

Child and Family Services’ Seacoast Street Outreach program was chosen from 16 applicants to provide mobile mental health services to the large population of vulnerable youth who inhabit the coastal region of New Hampshire. The grant will provide services to teens, young adults and unaccompanied minors who do not access traditional mental health care due to practical barriers that include transportation, bureaucracy, and lack of insurance. CFS has already positioned a licensed mental health clinician out on the streets to work with at-risk youth throughout seacoast communities. More than 1,000 youth will be reached by the Seacoast Street Outreach program in 2012.

“Greater than 60% of the homeless youth we

Child and Family Services wishes to acknowledge the following Seacoast-area medical professionals who, through action, education and donation, are committed to growing healthy and abundant communities. Thank you for your generous support that will improve the quality of life for youth involved in our Street Outreach program.

Dr. Hossam Algamil, MD Dr. Eric Anderson, MD Dr. Joffree Barrnett, MD Dr. Robert Bear, MD Dr. Cynthia Bear, MD Ms. Eileen Behan, RD Dr. Charles Blitzer, MD Dr. James Bloomer, MD Dr. Eliza Bolton, PhD Dr. Joan Breen, MD Dr. Andrew Breen, MD Dr. Daniel Brown, MD Dr. Molly Buzdon, MD Mr. Christopher Campbell, PT Dr. Jocelyn Caple, MD Dr. Mindy Chadrow, PhD Dr. Mark Chag, MD Dr. Stephen Christo, MD Dr. Michael Ciaschini, MD Dr. Barbara Civiello, MD Ms. Amy Coombs, APRN Dr. Cynthia Cooper, MD Ms. Patricia Crothers, ARPN Ms. Claudia Cunningham, RN, MBA Dr. Aristotle Damianos, MD Dr. Michael Danielski, MD

Dr. Robert Helm, MD

Dr. Dan DeTolla, DDS, MD, PA

Ms. Pamela Henry, MA, LCMHC

Dr. Tom Decker, MD

Dr. Robert Herold, DDS

Dr. Douglas DeSantis, MD

Dr. Robert Hickey, MD

Dr. Barbara Deuell, MD

Dr. Patty Hodge, MD

Dr. Frank Dibble, Jr., MD

Dr. Kevin Hodges, MD

Dr. John DiNella, DPM

Dr. Walter Hoerman, MD

Dr. Keith Dominick, MD

Dr. Wallace Hubbard, MD

Ms. Kathryn Driscoll, MSW

Dr. Geri Hunter, DMD

Dr. Tyler Edwards, MD

Dr. Kimberly Hyer, MD

Dr. Roger Epstein, MD

Dr. David Itkin, MD

Dr. Amy Feitelson, MD

Dr. Steven Kahan, MD, JD

Dr. Charles Felton, MD

Dr. Anne Kalter, MD

Ms. Sunny Fenn-McNally, APRN

Dr. Nickolas Kanelos, Jr, DDS

Dr. Dale Ferguson, MD

Dr. Timothy Keenan, MD

Dr. Timothy Finelli, DDS

Dr. Thomas King, MD

Dr. John Foley, DO

Dr. Lorenzo Klein, MD

Ms. Diane Foley, APRN

Dr. Susan Krolewski, MD

Ms. Tara Fraser, PA-C

Dr. Catherine Lamond, PsyD

Dr. Charles Gaudet, MD

Ms. Mary Lamstein, APRN

Dr. Michael Gauthier, MD

Dr. Albert Lantinen, MD

Dr. Alexander Geller, MD

Dr. Karen LeComte, MD

Dr. Barry Gendron, DO

Dr. Katharina Lilly, MD

Dr. John Gens, MD

Dr. Eric Lister, MD

Dr. Mark Graziano, MD

Dr. Patricia Locuratolo, MD

Dr. Marylyn Grondin, MD

Dr. Kevin Looser, MD

Dr. Alix Handlesman, MD

Dr. Rosalie Lopresto, DPM

Dr. Amitha Harish, MD

Ms. Sandra Lovell, LICSW

Dr. Deborah Harrigan, MD

Dr. Stephen Lutz, MD

Ms. Susan Hechler-Lynch, PA-C

Dr. Thomas Lydon, MD, PhD

Dr. Sarah MacDuffie Hundertmark, MD

Dr. Kenneth Rotner, MD

Dr. Heidi MacVittie, MD

Dr. Robert Ruben, MD

Dr. Arul Mahadevan, MD

Dr. Laura Rubin, PhD

Dr. Nellita Manley, DDS

Dr. Jeffrey Saltz, DDS

Dr. Archie McGowan, MD

Dr. Christopher Sarno, MD

Dr. Wendy McLaughlin, MD

Dr. Sonya Schwaegerle, MD

Ms. Catherine McLaughlin Hills, CNM,

Dr. Ira Schwartz, MD

MSN

Dr. Lisa Sherman, MD

Mr. Sean Meehan,

Dr. Thomas Sherman, MD

Dr. Thomas Menke, MD

Dr. Russell Shipman, DO

Dr. Mike Michaels, MD

Dr. Josh Siegel, MD

Dr. Everett Moitoza, EdD, MBA

Dr. Amulya Siram, MD

Ms. Elizabeth Hall Moitoza, LICSW

Dr. Donato Sisto, MD

Dr. Deborah Mueller, MD

Dr. Joan Sisto, MD

Dr. Susan Murray, MD

Dr. Jesse Smith, MD

Dr. Sonia Nelson, MD

Ms. Melissa Snow, RD, LD

Dr. Marni Nicholas, MD

Dr. Michael Southworth, MD

Ms. Denise Nies, MSN, RN

Dr. David Staples, DDS

Dr. Asa Nixon, MD

Dr. O. Robert Stevens, MD

Dr. Mayo Noerdlinger, MD

Dr. Margaret Stewart, MD

Dr. David Olken, DO

Dr. William Sutherland, MD

Dr. Robert Oram, MD

Dr. Lucian Szmyd, Jr., MD

Dr. Cynthia Paciulli, MD

Dr. Brian Szymanski, MD

Dr. Diane Palladino, MD

Dr. Jeffery Thurlow, MD

Dr. Karen Palmer, DO

Dr. Margaret Tilton, MD

Dr. Patricia Pangan, MD

Dr. Paul Tung, MD

Dr. Michael Pangan, MD

Dr. Dixon Turner, MD

Dr. John Panopoulos, DO

Dr. Michael Urbano, MD

Ms. Donna Pare, APRN

Dr. Nicola Vogel, MD

Dr. Ira Parsons, MD

Dr. Jeffrey Wagner, PhD

Dr. Timothy Pike, MD

Dr. Jo Ann Warren, MD

Dr. Charles Pinkerton, MD

Ms. April Weeks, MFA

Dr. Brett Rankin, MD

Dr. Kareen Worrell, DO

Dr. Douglas Rhodes, MD

Dr. Richard Zeff, MD

Ms. Elisabeth Robinson, APRN

Dr. Anthony Zwaan, MD

Dr. Keith Robinson, MD

Mr. Thomas McCormack, LICSW

Dr. Kevin Roelofs, MD

St. Mary’s awards $3,500 to CFS

Michael Ostrowski, CEO of CFS, and Tom Champagne, director of community outreach, St. Mary’s Bank.

St. Mary’s Bank recently donated $3,500 to Child and Family Services of New Hampshire to implement an online data management system that will enhance the agency’s ability to track and evaluate the impact of its services.

“CFS plays an important role in our community by protecting and fostering one of our most precious assets— our youth,” said Tom Champagne,

director of community outreach at St. Mary’s Bank. “St. Mary’s recognizes the work done by CFS as an integral piece of successfully nurturing New Hampshire’s families, and we are pleased to provide assistance to this wonderful organization so they can continue their operations in a seamless manner.”

“St. Mary’s generous grant will enhance our ability to gather data on

the people we serve and the problems they face and help to put that into the context of our communities’ overall social health,” said Michael Ostrowski, president/CEO, Child and Family Services. “This new technology will streamline our quality improvement efforts and enable us to better report program outcomes to donors, the legislature, and human service practitioners. Ultimately, this state-of-the-art system will optimize our services to children and families.”

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Dr. Alain Ades, MD

Dr. Mick Davidson, DO

encounter on the streets require crises response or counseling services,” says Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Child and Family Services, “and less than 10% are able to obtain care. Funding from Healthcare GIVES will make it possible for more of our youth to benefit from vital mental health services.”

Medical professionals, including dentists, doctors, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, psychologists, and social workers, routinely provide free services to patients and families in need. Giving Circles like Healthcare GIVES are another way for medical professionals to give, act, and educate by pooling human and financial resources to effect powerful and lasting change in their communities.

For more information, or to become a member, go to healthcaregives.org or contact the giving circle at healthcaregives@gmail.com

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Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

Walmart awards grant to CFS Street Outreach

Greg Sevinsky, distribution center manager, Walmart; Erin Kelly, Street Outreach program manager; Faline Heiser, traffic manager, Walmart; and Paul Adams, shipping operations manager, Walmart

Child and Family Services of New Hampshire recently received a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation in support of the agency’s Street Outreach Program.

Awarded as part of Walmart’s State Giving Program, the $25,000 grant will enable CFS to provide survival

aid and a continuum of comprehensive support services to runaway and homeless youth ages 12-21, and to youth at risk of homelessness, in the city of Manchester and in eastern Rockingham County.

In 2012, the Street Outreach Program will make contact with 3,200

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Corporate, foundation and civic club giving CFS benefits daily from the generosity of corporate, foundation and civic partnerships that provide services, inkind support and/or charitable grants to begin or sustain programs. If you would like to discuss opportunities for your company or organization to partner with CFS to protect children, preserve families and strengthen communities, please contact the development office at 603-518-4130 to request a copy of our new booklet: Opportunity Knocks or visit our giving pages at www.cfsnh.org See how creative partnerships can change lives.

Many businesses, foundations and community organizations have made gifts to the following programming initiatives since the last newsletter.

Our Teen Resource Center serving youth at risk and/or homeless in Manchester and our Street Outreach Program in Eastern Rockingham County programs received grants from the following: Amato, Robinson Family Funds, NHCF, Rotary Club of Hampton, Provident Bank, Speedway Children’s Charities, Lonza Biologics, and The Fuller and Walmart Foundations, to reach out to runaway, throwaway and homeless youth helping them to find stable housing, finish school, seek and obtain employment and learn the skills they need to live independently. These programs also received product donations of clothing, food and personal care items from Walmart Distribution

Center, Raymond, Rite Aid Corporation, First Baptist Church-Women’s Union, Immaculate Conception Church, NH Food Bank, St. Catherine’s Women’s Organization, Timberland, and Whole Life HealthCare.

Early childhood programs providing home visiting family support and comprehensive prenatal services are the best investment for decreasing child abuse and neglect and rehabilitating families. CFS Healthy Families Home Visiting, Parenting Plus, Parent Aide and Families Connecting programs across the state received grants from Tillotson North Country, Linden and Halpin Foundations, Cirtronics Corporation, Concord Female Charitable Society, Women’s Fund of NH, Great Bear Renewable Energy, KIDS, and product donations from Baby Threads of NH, North Country Health Consortium, Pheasant Lane Mall, The Stork Project, Payless Shoe Source and Gymboree.

Preventing early school failure often means reaching beyond the four walls of the classroom and engaging families in partnering with teachers to ensure the child’s school success. The Chamberlin Family, Dorothy Byrne, Thomas Marshall and Stettenheim Foundations provided grants to provide school-tohome counseling to students who are at risk of school failure at Lamprey River Elementary School, Raymond and Mt.

youths, distribute 28,000 food items, dispense 9,000 hygiene products and 13,000 survival aid items, hand out 1,500 informal/educational items and provide intensive case management for 300 youths requiring crisis intervention or supportive counseling.

“We’re honored to support this admirable organization and the hard work that it does for a community of youths that is often overlooked,” said Alexandra Serra Dostie, senior manager of public affairs and government relations at Walmart. “This organization makes a big difference for thousands of young people, and Walmart is proud to stand with them and help to improve the lives of at-risk youths in New Hampshire.”

“This grant will allow us to provide food for scores of homeless teens who are not on the “radar screens” of most Lebanon and Seminary Hill Schools in W. Lebanon, NH. Every child deserves camp! This is our mantra and our goal for all children who, without the support of CFS donors, would be unable to attend overnight camp because their families lack the financial resources. Children throughout NH attend two weeks of camp at Camp Spaulding thanks to anonymous donors, NHCF, Coit House, Rotary Club of Nashua West, WLNH Children’s Auction, Annette Schmitt Fund, Suzanne and Kevin Schon, Manchester Rotary, and Dwelle Family Foundation.

Maintaining dignity and independence for the elderly is the goal of CFS Home Care program which received funding from The Mary Gale Foundation and Pearl Manor Funds.

When you are poor and trying to pay for groceries, rent and heat, the tasks of everyday life and parenting can become overwhelming, especially if issues like unemployment, lack of insurance, substance use, chronic illness, absence of a spouse due to deployment, divorce or incarceration, or homelessness are added to the mix. CFS reaches into communities throughout New Hampshire and south

programs and are often overlooked as they try to remain inconspicuous,” said CFS president, Mike Ostrowski.”

“We are fortunate that companies like Walmart understand the need and have the wherewithal to be responsive to it.”

CFS is currently the only organization that provides outreach services to runaway and “throwaway” youth who find themselves couch surfing with friends, camping out in tents along the riverbanks or in abandoned buildings, or going home with strangers where the risk of exploitation grows exponentially. The program is on the frontlines reaching out to at risk youths with street survival aids and helping them to transition from street life to stable, independent living or family reunification. The services provided by CFS aim to bridge the gap between their housing and safety. central Vermont offering cutting edge mental health and substance abuse treatment services to tackle tough problems that threaten the well-being of children and their families, thanks to grants from the following: Health Care Gives, to expand mental health counseling to homeless youth on the Seacoast; The Oliver J. and Dorothy Hubbard New Futures and Philip & Jane Currier Funds; NHCF and Women’s Fund of NH, to help incarcerated women remain connected to their families and transition successfully back to their communities.

Foster Care and Independent Living Youth who turn 18 and leave foster or group home care often become homeless because they lack the skills, education and financial resources to live independently. CFS, with grants from Madelaine von Weber Trust, People’s United Community Foundation and William T. and Mildred E. Welsh Odyssey House Fund, NHCF, has begun a pilot project to prepare youth, age 17, for independent living and to help them move to apartments with case management services to support this transition. The Couch Family Foundation has also provided a grant to enhance foster care recruitment and retention in the Upper Valley.

10/1/11 – 2/1/12

The CFS Corporate Connection CFS programs benefit daily from the generosity of a number of corporate partners who provide services, in-kind or financial contributions. If your business would like to discuss opportunities for supporting the Child and Family Services mission, please contact the development office at 518-4130 or look at Giving Opportunities on the website: www.cfsnh.org

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

www.cfsnh.org

INVOLVE

TUCK RUN FOR KIDS Annually, the Tuck School at Dartmouth holds its Run for the Kids, a charity road race in Hanover, New Hampshire. It is the capstone on the Tuck calendar, providing a fun way for students to give back to their community by supporting three important local non-profit organizations: Child and Family Services, David’s House, and the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD). Over the past 27 years, this event has raised in excess of $160,000 for local charities. This year’s Run for the Kids will include 5km and 10km run / walk and a 1km kids fun run and will be held on Saturday, May 19. Child and Family Services hopes that lots of runners and walkers enter the race on behalf of CFS this year.

Registration information is available on the Tuck website www.tuck.dartmouth. edu. Register now. It’s lots of fun and you will be helping to fund Child and Family Services’ programming in the Upper Valley.

Join a CFS regional advisory board Ambassadors –willing to talk about CFS to family, friends, community and business members. They are our eyes and ears in the community.

Advocates – willing to represent the Agency at town meetings, legislative hearings, service clubs, make phone calls or send letters to legislators or funding sources on behalf of the Agency.

Askers – willing to introduce CFS staff members to local funders and individuals interested in supporting children’s services and participate in fund raising activities and other resource development projects to support local CFS programs.

• Regional advisory board members can expect CFS staff to provide the training, tools and support they need to be successful in their roles.

• Regional advisory board members should be willing to make the organization one of your top three charitable and volunteer commitments, commit to attending scheduled meetings and have flexibility of time between meetings to accomplish board tasks.

There are regional advisory boards in the North Country, Lakes, Concord, Upper Valley, Manchester and Seacoast Regions of NH. If you are interested in becoming involved with CFS in this capacity, contact cohenr@cfsnh.org or zaxr@cfsnh.org

Gain personal satisfaction through volunteerism The families who come through our doors have so many needs—it is often difficult for them to focus on the behavioral, social and emotional problems they face when their environmental needs weigh so heavily on them. Because we deal with such a large population of truly impoverished families, 90% of whom live on less than $20,000 a year for a family of four, we often find ourselves working first on their most basic needs – food, clothing, safe housing. A number of our programs have basic needs wish lists and fortunately, we have a number of friends and businesses who reach out to help support these families with product donations.

Baby Threads of NH donates infant layettes for young mothers in our Healthy Families Program, the Pajama Project donates pajamas and books for young families. Cirtronics Corp. prepares camp kits for children heading off to Camp Spaulding for two weeks of overnight camp, and United Natural Foods Inc. puts together backpacks and personal care items for children going into our Permanency Solutions foster care program. Several school and community groups hold drives to collect teen appropriate clothing, single serving foodstuffs and hygiene products for the Teen Resource Center. Another group of volunteers donates food store gift cards to our Elder Services program. Meeting these basic needs is often the first step to building the trust and peace of mind necessary to tackle the bigger, tougher issues our clients face.

If you would like to help, please contact Angelica Ladd, ladda@cfsnh.org and she can discuss the many options there are for helping client families. Below is a sample wish list for the Teen Resource Center food pantry.

• Cans of Spaghetti O’s • Cans of Dinty Moore Beef Stew • Single serve cups of easy mac and cheese • Single serve cups of Cheerios or Frosted Flakes • Single serve cups of peaches, applesauce • Single sleeves of salted peanuts or trail mix • Nutrigrain cereal bars

GOT LEGOS? They are stuffed in closets, in shoeboxes under the bed, or in bins in the basement. They are unused LEGOS. Is there anything sadder? Camp Spaulding can help!

That’s right! On this year’s Camp Spaulding wish list is used LEGOS as well as new board games, coloring books, crayons, and books for cabin treasure chests.

We hope to collect enough items for ten treasure chests, which are great for quiet hours and relieve the symptoms of cabin fever on rainy days.

Treasure chests are a great community service project for your friends, service group, and even your family. All we’re looking for is an eighteen-gallon plastic tote with cover filled with an assortment of children’s books, board games, cards and of course, LEGOS! Games and books should be appropriate for children ages 8 - 14.

If you’re interested in donating a treasure chest, or items for a treasure chest, please contact Angelica Ladd at ladda@cfsnh.org. Check out the Camp Spaulding website www. CampSpaulding.org for the full wish list and other ways you can help disadvantaged NH children attend overnight camp for two weeks.

WILL YOU? Leave a legacy through a bequest in your will To find out the benefits of joining The NH Children’s Aid & Protective Society with a legacy gift, contact Ruth Zax, CFRE, director of development and planned giving, zaxr@cfsnh.org

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Child and Family Services is looking for a few good volunteers to serve on regional resource development advisory boards. If you share our mission of preserving and expanding social safety net services for children, youth and families in your community and are willing to help us develop the resources necessary to continue serving the neediest families, consider being one of our Triple A advisory board members. Advisory board members are --

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INSPIRE

ZAX wins award for ‘Excellence in Development’

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uth Zax, development director for Child and Family Services of NH, was honored with the Award for Excellence in Development by the Council

Tribute Gifts Memorial Gifts Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

It is with great appreciation that Child and Family Services accepts gifts from the following individuals and organizations who have chosen to remember a friend, colleague or family member with a memorial gift to our Annual Fund.

Lauren Robbins Bishop Mr. & Mrs. David Emus Jean Boutin Ms. Eugenie Boutin Brother Dan Mr. Michael Tager Curtis Brockelman Mr. & Mrs. Spencer F. Martin Natalie Brown Rep. Frances D. Potter Robert Burroughs Ms. Clara D. Parsons Albert E. Chicoine Mrs. Madeline L. Martel Robert L. Chiesa Mr. Robert Manchester Janice L. Christy Ms. Janet L. Pollock David Dallaire Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Carrol Kelly McWilliams Dvareckas

on Fundraising (CONFR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the art and science of philanthropy in New Hampshire.

Zax, a 28 year veteran in the field of development, has guided the philanthropic efforts at Child and Family Services of NH since 1983, during which time she has raised almost $25 million in charitable support.

With a Master of Education degree, Zax began her career at CFS 36 years

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

ago as part of the advocacy team, driven by her belief that children are entitled to nurturance, protection, and a chance to develop their full human potential. In that time, whether as an advocate or fund-raiser, she has advanced the well-being of over 500,000 children and families throughout New Hampshire and eastern Vermont.

Widely respected for her contributions to her profession, Zax has seen the agency through critical times of change and has devised innovative solutions that have transcended three recessions and resulted in substantial increases in revenue and donor retention. Last year alone, CFS served 15,000 individuals, over 90% of whom lived at or below the poverty level.

Only through charitable support, were they able to obtain the care and services they needed to become or

remain productive members of the community.

“We are very proud to have Ruth as a leader on our team and a champion of our cause,” says Mike Ostrowski, president and CEO of Child and Family Services. “Ruth exemplifies what can happen when passion and purpose combine. She is the best in her field and her efforts are certain to leave a lasting impression on the quality of family life for generations to come.”

“I’ve worked with the most amazingly talented, dedicated and professional practitioners—people who are defined by their passion for the work they do every day in homes, in the community, in schools, and on the streets,” says Zax. “This is what inspires me and keeps me motivated. I thank you all for what we have accomplished together to make life better for children and their families.”

Honorary Gifts Mr. William Burnell Commonwealth Cares Cypress Women’s Golf Club Mr. Stephen B. Dwelle Dr. S. Ann Earon Greater Manchester Board of Realtors, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Mike Gydesen Ms. Rosemary T. Holmes Ms. Elise Hood Ms. Norma Liedtke Ms. Patti C. McWilliams Mr. & Mrs. John Noraig Osterkamp Associates Mr. & Mrs. John N. Rees Mr. & Mrs. Peter H. Rummel Ms. Valerie Scott David Jeffrey Ms. Gayle Kimball Rod Landwehr Mr. & Mrs. David Emus Philip F. LaRosa Mr. & Mrs. Richard Cantara Ms. Ruth E. Cherrette Mr. Theodore E. Frazier Mr. & Mrs. Vernon Hopkiss Mr. & Mrs. Rudy Ladds Ms. Janice N. Severance Mrs. Donna Whitcher Mr. & Mrs. Dean Wilber Carmen Light Mr. Al Light Margaret “Peg” Maloney

Mrs. Betty Allen Mr. & Mrs. Addison R. Carver Ms. Catherine M. Griffin Mr. & Mrs. Ronald J. Gondek Ms. Tommi Hall Mr. & Mrs. J. Michael Hickey Mr. & Mrs. Ronald C. Kelly Jack & Susan Lightfoot Mr. & Mrs. Bill & Ann Marvin Mr. & Mrs. Walter C. Meyer Ms. Sue Mullen Mr. & Mrs. Michael Ostrowski Ms. Corinne Scarlett Mrs. Missie Schroeder Mrs. Judith Wenners Ruth B. Zax Arnold Messenger Mrs. Jacqueline S. Fineblit Anne B. Middleton Atty. Charles A. DeGrandpre Phil Mongan Mrs. Judith Wenners Leatrice “Lea” Mooney Ms. Joyce Cutting Ms. Florence Heath Mrs. Angelica Ladd Mr. & Mrs. Bill & Ann Marvin Mr. & Mrs. Herman M. Mooney Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Mooney Ms. Rose M. Perry Mr. & Mrs. Daniel E. Plourde Ms. Nancy S. Vailas Ms. Geraldine Wood Mrs. Ruth B. Zax Richard Ostrowski Mrs. Betty Allen Mr. Anthony F. Cheek Mr. & Mrs. Michael Gaffney Mr. & Mrs. J. Gifford & Sally Kriebel Mr. & Mrs. Keith Kuenning Mrs. Sue Pitiger Ms. Kathleen Strange Swasey Central School Ms. Maria White Ruth B. Zax May Solon Mr. & Mrs. Stephen F. Foster Dr. & Mrs. Michael H. Solon Olivette St. Hilaire Mr. Paul St. Hilaire Kenneth H. Volk Atty. Charles A. DeGrandpre

The following individuals have been honored by a friend, colleague, family member or organization with a gift to Child and Family Services in recognition of that individual’s achievement or special occasion.

Lauren Adams Chris and Lisa Christie Trimble James William Battaglia Mr. & Mrs. John Beauchamp Pedro and Susan Bilar Anonymous JoAnn Cobb Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence C. Patz Donna and Jim Connell and family Ms. Janet Thornton Sarah Fox Marty Fox and Thyle Shartar Wilbur Glahn, Esq. McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton Julie Ms. Barbara A. Clark Charlotte Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Taylor William Gaffney NH Federation of Women’s Clubs Gail Garceau Mr. & Mrs. J. Michael Hickey John and Pat Jacobsmeyer Ms. Joanne Sprott Kip Deese Laurent Ms. Susan Lunn Jason & Mimmi Lichtenstein White Mountains Capital, Inc. Jack Lightfoot Mr. & Mrs. Louis J. Gargasz Mrs. Peggy Small-Porter Rep. Frances D. Potter Ms. Maria White Taylor Martin Ms. Gladys Dyer Kaylin G. Pardo Ms. Christine Brassard Public Service of New Hampshire’s 85th Birthday Kevin Skarupa Public Service of New Hampshire Ruth Zax Ms. Roberta Lattig Mr. & Mrs. Ralph P. Sidore Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Taylor

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CFS STEPS UP in the Manchester City Marathon RUNNING FOR THE CAUSE!

The Upper Valley Team, Supah Fast Lightning Mamas, ran for CFS in the Manchester City Marathon.

Back row (l-r): Karen Wilson Stacey Fazarano, Lauren Girard Adams, Elizabeth Glenshaw, Laura Perras

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orty individuals comprised the Child and Family Services team in the 2011 Manchester City Marathon. They included CFS staff, board, friends, family and business partners. Some ran distance, others ran relay, and others manned water stations and staffed tables at the athletes’ village. All were sponsored by caring individuals who gave dollars and encouragement to support their efforts. Collectively, the CFS team

Child and Family Services and RiverWoods teamed up to run the Manchester City Marathon 2011.

Pictured – front: From RiverWoods--Tammy Whitman, Diane Smith, Penny Teodorczyk. Back row (l-r) Paul Koenig (son of a CFS staffer), RiverWoods’ Cathleen Toomey and Suzy Anzalone, Kat Strange (CFS staff), and RW’s Lynn Wronkowski

raised almost $10,000, all of which was devoted to our direct service to local children and families.

Special thanks to team members: Arline Gaffney of BAE Systems; Erin Normand of PSNH; Diane Vaccarello of Bedford Family Therapy; local CFS friends and family including Kaitlin Couture, Darlene Sweet, Kerry Monahan, Kara Schlender, Caitlyn McGuiness, Emily

Novak, Renee Mitchell, Lorna Erwin, Lynn Couples, Paul Koenig, Cindy Gaffney, Dottie Gove, Ruth Zax, Leigh Kayes, Becca Newell, Joe Peterson, Angelica Ladd, Bill Conrad, Kat Strange; the RiverWoods group including Lynn Wronkowski, Penny Teodorczyk, Cathleen Toomey, Diane Smith, Tammy Whitman, Suzy Anzalone, Chris Donovan; and the CFS Upper Valley contingent including, Lauren Adams, of the CFS UV board, Elizabeth Glenshaw, Heather Stadheim, Laura Perras, Stacey Falzarano, Karen Wilson, JoEllen Gardner, Nini (Jane) Meyer.

Those who turned out in force and who deserve special recognition for setting the pace in team spirit include our Upper Valley contingent (board members and friends), who ran as many miles as they traveled to get there, and our partners from RiverWoods at Exeter, who offered up two relay teams, provided drivers, and made a generous donation to this effort.

Special thanks as well to the organizers of the Manchester City Marathon who awarded CFS $2,500 as one of its charities of choice.

When it comes to our cause…it’s all about ENDURANCE!

Rethinking prevention of child abuse and neglect Funding cuts put our future at risk

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he economic downturn and rising deficits have forced states and communities across the country to rethink budgets and prioritize services. In New

Hampshire, one result has been the reduction or wholesale elimination of public investment in the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

For example, Division of Children, Youth and Families voluntary prevention funds - designed to assist and support families who self-identify in crisis - were eliminated from the state budget. Incentive funds, designed to prevent abuse and support children in every county, were eliminated from the budget. Funding for Family Resource Centers, the first line of defense in supporting parents with young children, have taken significant hits from multiple sources. A state program called Comprehensive Family Supports and Services has a 98 percent success rate in keeping at-risk families supported and out of the DCYF child protection system, yet funding for this program has been significantly reduced over the past two years.

While all child abuse prevention efforts are laudable, a critical period for prevention is prenatal through age 3. The pace of brain development is astonishing, and the way that infants and toddlers are treated by parents and all caregivers has profound neurological and behavioral consequences during their schooling years and for a lifetime.

Children under the age of 3 are the victims in more than 30 percent of all substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect, and 80 percent of the children who die or suffer permanent neurological damage are in this age group. Shaken baby syndrome is a tragic and preventable form of child injury that frequently results in death or severe long-term consequences for victims who survive. In most cases, shaking is caused by caregiver frustration with infant crying.

Reaching families and other caregivers early with social supports, education about child development, and services that address issues such as substance abuse, mental illness and

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By Becky Berk New Hampshire Children’s Trust

high caregiver stress are all critical in preventing child abuse and neglect. Yet it is exactly these prevention services that have been reduced or eliminated.

While there is much hand-wringing over the lag in educational achievement of America’s students compared to that of other countries, the fact is that many countries are following the science of brain development and investing heavily in families with children in the early years. If we wait until a child enters kindergarten, we are too late. If we wait until a child is 3, we are too late. Consider, for instance, that the ability of a child to learn and function is heavily affected during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in children, caused by exposure to alcohol during pregnancy, occur more frequently than spina bifida, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, childhood cancer and juvenile diabetes combined, matched only by the incidence of autism in children.

As a society, we need to adopt the notion of “begindergarten” - that the most important period for healthy child development and the ability to learn is in the prenatal period through age 3. And that means supporting children in the context of the family with integrated strategies and cross-sector commitment from public, private, business, service, faith and educational institutions. In short, we need a statewide commitment to, and strategy for, investment in young children.

In this political season, ask candidates for national and state elected positions how they will maintain and extend investments in children prenatal through age 3 and their families. Ask your local Chamber of Commerce and local service clubs how they are specifically addressing the healthy development of very young children. Contribute time, resources or funds to the family resource center in your community. Work through your faith community to welcome and support families with very young children. Consider what you can do personally, and in partnership with others, to support families with children in your neighborhood.

State agencies should streamline services to families under one umbrella, to reduce fragmented services in disconnected silos. Increasing our collective investments in maternal, infant and early childhood funding is critical to the development of our most important infrastructure - the brain development of our children.

In this, we must not fail.

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Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

A miracle in review Stephen Singer, our event “guardian angel”

Suzanne Roantree and Heather Bishop of WZID, with Jeff Nevins of FairPoint Communications

Mark and Kathy Padfield of NH Blacktop Sealers

The 13th annual WZID Christmas is for Kids Radiothon, presented by FairPoint Communications, raised over $150,000, fulfilling holiday wishes AND supporting critical services to over 2800 local kids and their families.

Buchika’s Ski and Bike AutoFair One Hundred Market St./ Capital Commons LL New Hampshire’s Hospital for Children Southern New Hampshire University Hedge Solutions Bedford Ambulatory Surgical Center, LLC Cactus Jacks and T-Bones Sensible Building Solutions Concord Nissan Edmund A. Bednarowski, Jr. Charitable Foundation Mall of NH Bellwether Community Credit Union Dr. Donald M. Dumais, DDS Bellman Jewelers The NH Charitable Foundation Steve Singer & the Singer family, Merchants Automotive Group COMMON MAN Family of Restaurants

Special thanks to our event ANGELS:

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FAIRPOINT COMMUNICATIONS Bank of America Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England Catholic Medical Center M.L. Halle Oil Service, Inc. NH Blacktop Sealers, Inc. The Anagnost Companies Hanover Street Chophouse Public Service of New Hampshire Devine, Millimet and Branch, PA Centrix Bank New Hampshire Motor Speedway UNH-Manchester Central Paper Company

Erin Kelly, manager of the CFS Street Outreach program, and Ed Orlowski, director of the CFS Group Home/Residential programs

Cindy Gaffney, community relations manager of CFS, and Ray Garon, general manager of WZID. It’s true--the more we work together, the more we look like family!

The ROCKETTES? No. It’s the equally talented staff members of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of Northern NE! (L-R) Michelle Duclos, Deb Ham, Maryellen Salines, Wendy Pelkey, Cathy Newsom and Kelli Monahan

Charlie Weinberg of Blanchet Canadian Rocker represents the Edmund A. Bednarowski Jr. Foundation

Tracy Caruso and Mike Morin, morning stars of WZID

Cynthia Hoyt-Travis, case manager with the CFS Transitional Living Program

Suzy Anzalone of RiverWoods went on air to talk about how her family was assisted by Child and Family Services’ Early Intervention program for children with developmental concerns

Because it’s never too early to practice the art of giving…

Julia Lamb of the CFS Permanency Solutions program, Cherie Lebel of the Healthy Families Home Visiting program, and Angelica Ladd of the CFS development office.

Marga Bessette and Pat McKay of WZID

THREE WISE MEN: CFS CEO, Mike Ostrowski, Governor John Lynch, and Bank of America-NE president, Ken Sheldon

Janine Mitchell was adopted through CFS many years ago. She joined us on air, as a contender for Miss New Hampshire, whose platform is foster care and adoption.

Melissa Skarupa, formerly of CFS and now of PSNH, joins the event, this time, on the air. When you’re here, your FAMILY!

Susanna Witcher of New Hampshire’s Hospital for Children, Elliot Health Systems, on the air with Marga Bessette of WZID

Marilyn Mahoney, chair of the CFS board of trustees, helps to answer the phones during the event.

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IMPACT on GIRLS

So, how does this hyper-sexualized society affect our daughters? According to the American Psychological Association in their 2007 report, a girl’s exposure to hyper-sexualized media content negatively impacts her cognitive and emotional development, and is strongly associated with eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression, fewer girls in the math/science/technology fields, and diminished capacity for healthy relationships.

Boys are not immune. The same social offenses that sexualize girls do so by way of virtually “brainwashing” boys.

The same exposure to sexual content

All over the world, the age of first intercourse has been dropping steadily since the 1960s.

Rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases have been rising in the U.S., which has ranked the highest of all industrialized countries.

The Lolita Effect, M. Gigi Durham P.H.D., The Overlook Press

gives boys a false sense of manhood and womanhood, and teaches boys and men to value women only for their sex appeal, encourages sexual harassment and violence, diminishes capacity for healthy relationships, and prompts predatory behavior.

According to a study published by the Journal of Adolescent Health, there are several social factors that contribute to the problem and put some girls at higher risk: absence of a responsible father, inadequate education, and living in economically depressed neighborhoods, among them.

In our practice, Child and Family Services sees girls of all ages, every day in every corner of the state, in various states of angst about who they are and how they will succeed in life---girls who are piercing, dying, injecting, surgically altering, painting, prostituting and purging their way into “acceptance,” and sometimes cutting, smoking, ingesting or otherwise abusing their way to “attention.”

Erin Kelly, MA, LCMHC, manager of the CFS Street Outreach program, is on the front lines working with girls who are young, homeless, victimized, disenfranchised, emotionally unstable, and who are being negatively affected by the world around them. While she recognizes that each girl’s story and emotional state is different, there seems to be generational trend that puts today’s girls at greater than ever risk.

“Even a generation ago it was completely normal for kids to get home from school, hop on a bike and ride around the neighborhood until dinner time,” Kelly observes. “Now, many youth spend the majority of their time plugged in to some kind of electronics and getting inundated with the sexual innuendos and images. I think it is a big system issue – worries about money, everyone has to work more, divorce is rampant, there is a lack of family values, spirituality has decreased, families don’t spend time together, and on and on. I also think that sexual trauma is on an up-rise, which can lead to the early sexualization of girls.

“The effects are too numerous to count,” Kelly continues, “some direct and some indirect: low self-esteem, eating disorders, early sexual experimentation, teen pregnancy, continued cycle of

families that do not function well, generational abuse/neglect, and increased sex trade.“ As a CFS psychotherapist who is trained in TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy), Roni Hardy, MSW/LICSW, has had a “steady and robust caseload of female victims of sexual assault/abuse.” Hardy admitted that since she is immersed in the work and is also the mother of a 12-year-old-daughter, (who can be alarming with her vocabulary and dancing), that it is difficult to talk objectively about the subject.

“I see teenage girls who are otherwise good students, respectful kids, sending nude pictures of themselves to boys.

Inexplicable behavior from girls who otherwise indicate that sexual intercourse is out of the question. It’s almost like it’s just normal to do that.

“I do think it is worse than it has

17 been historically,” Hardy adds, “but I’m not sure that victimization is worse or whether it’s more readily identified as sexual harassment or abuse.”

Patricia Branscombe, guidance counselor at the Manchester School of Technology says, “It’s a huge issue. In my 25 years in the high school system, I’ve seen the breakdown of the family – too many young people don’t feel connected and parents aren’t involved. Once, I was truly shocked when I asked my advisory group of students who were all seniors in high school to identify five “supports” in their young lives (parents, teachers, mentors, bosses, coaches, clergy, etc.).

Not one of the 12 students identified supports beyond friends! I’ve remembered that experience my entire career.”

TAKING ACTION

dards. I’ve found that to apply whether Everyone can play a part in protecting we’re talking academics, personal relaour girls from sexual expectations and tionships, self-image, whatever.” the pressures they face, and can counGleaned from the APA report, with teract the sexualization trend. input from CFS practitioners, here is a Hardy says, “As a parent, you should list of comprehensive positive alternastay interactive with your kids. Know tives to counteracting the influence of what your kids are watching. Watch with sexualization: them. Monitor their Facebook pages. • Schools can develop media literacy You can’t always be in total control of programs everything, but you can be involved. • Parents and schools can provide comHave conversations with them about it. prehensive sex education that teaches “Also, teach respect…this is for boys boys and girls the importance of autonand girls. Teach empathy and instill omy and mutual respect. compassion. Lead by example. Be care- • Schools and communities can mainful of what you say and how you act in tain support for athletic and other extrafront of your kids. Show them that it’s curricular activities that can help girls good to stand up for yourself and to to feel empowered. not be afraid to buck the trends. I can’t • Churches and spiritual/moral educaemphasize this enough…kids need good tion programs can help develop protecrole models. As well, it is important for tive factors parents to encourage girls by pointing • Get girls involved with women’s and out specific strengths like a sense of girl’s organizations, such as the YWCA, humor, a quick wit, math accuity, etc., Girls, Inc., and Girl Scouts. Social service in order to build an internal sense that organizations, such as Child and Famwho they are is not about how ‘attrac- ily Services, also provide girls’ groups tive’ they look.” to help girls build social and personal Hardy also shares that parents can skills and defend against negative influwield their power as consumers, and can ences and perceptions. show their disapproval by simply not • Join discussions on new alternative buying what they’re selling, not watching websites and social media groups that their shows, not wearing their garb, and are designed to give girls a voice and by not validating the offenders. provide them with a mechanism by As for educators, Hardy adds, “Teach- which they can support each other. ers, while already busy with the job of “Everyone has some kind of power to teaching, are strategically positioned to affect change,” Hardy concludes. “When intervene when they observe an instance we build a child’s self-esteem, strengths of sexualization. In fact, they can use and assets, build their sense of indethat as a teaching moment, to have a pendence and individualism, encourdiscussion with the class. Dissecting age self-respect and understanding, we the sexualization phenomenon can be a help them to become resilient and wellgroup project, give kids the opportunity adjusted, and this gives them the opporto increase their intelligence on the sub- tunity to become valued contributors ject and to be heard.” in the world and to live up to their full Branscombe has hope: “Consider that potential.” young people will rise to the occasion if only we help them set the correct stan- See what people think about this topicCFSNH.org or LIKE us on Facebook.

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SNOOKIFIED from Page 1 hands of children often without the adult presence or guidance we give with other tools.”

Media is only a part of the social offensive, however. Merchandisers are in on the action as well, with retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch marketing thongs to young girls that are imprinted with “eye candy” and “wink-wink” and T-shirts that read “Who needs brains when you have these?”

It’s no secret that Calvin Klein has sexualized under-aged girls for years (dating back to Brooke Shields). Recently, supermodel, Cindy Crawford, pulled her daughter from a modeling gig for Versace when she saw the way execs tried to turn her 10-year old girl into a sexually charged adult.

Toy manufacturers have cashed in, too. The doll that outsold even Barbie, the Bratz dolls, now come equipped with fishnet stockings and make up, (and, counterintuitively, fast food).

Even the staple of childhood entertainment bears some blame for manipulating little girls. When you strip away all the singing animals from the stable of Disney’s popular princess movies, you’re left with a message that little girls should aspire to marry a prince-and she would do so not because she is smart or good, but because she is “the fairest of them all.”

“I think the consequences are that girls don’t get to be fully whole human beings when they are so objectified,” continues Opie Williams. “I think male people don’t get to be fully whole humans when they are so steeped in a sexual culture. We have ramped up everyone’s nervous systems that everyone needs more and more stimulation.”

“We are in a perfect storm of children over-exposed to these messages,” warns Monica Zulauf, executive director, YWCA-Manchester. “While at the same time, parents and schools are unable or unwilling to engage with children in a meaningful way about what healthy sexuality is.”

www.cfsnh.org

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www.cfsnh.org

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services

CFS Programs & Services ADOPTION SUPPORT SERVICES Adoptive Parent Services Homestudies for domestic and international adoptions; consultation and mediation.

Pregnancy Counseling / Birthparent Services Unbiased, confidential counseling for parents facing unplanned pregnancy; expert adoption planning services available.

Post-Adoption Search Search and reunion coordination, including counseling and support, for birth parents, adoptees and siblings.

Infant Adoption Awareness Training Project Training for healthcare and social service professionals statewide in the benefits of incorporating the adoption choice into their work with pregnant women who may not be ready or able to parent.

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ADVOCACY NH Children’s Lobby Improving the lives of children and families through legislative, judicial, and public policy initiatives. Members receive newsletter and action alerts during legislative session.

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES Watch Me Grow pilot sites Developmental screening for all children two months to 60 months using Ages & Stages developmental screening tool.

Early Supports & Services Provides family centered early supports and services and therapies to infants and toddlers (birth to three) who have developmental disabilities, developmental delays, or who are at risk of developmental delays. Services are provided in the child’s natural environment.

TEEN AND YOUNG ADULT SERVICES New Hampshire Youth Mentoring Program in partnership with Goodwill. Mentoring and wrap-around services for youth leaving the Sununu Youth Services Center.

Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Crisis intervention for runaway & homeless youth, and those at risk of running away.

Street Outreach Assistance to street youth, homeless youth, those at risk of running and at risk of sexual exploitation due to their lifestyle.

Transitional Living Program Safe, stable housing and supportive services provided to homeless youth ages 18-21.

Transitional Living - North Country A specialty transitional living program that provides safe, stable housing and supportive services to homeless women 18-21 who are pregnant or parenting.

Upper Valley Youth Court An alternative approach to juvenile justice in which youthful offenders are sentenced by a jury of their peers.

Incorporates responsible and restorative justice principles.

Turnabout Intensive tracking and supervision of adjudicated youth (ages 11-17). Community-based. Serves courts from Manchester, Claremont, Concord, Franklin, Goffstown, Laconia, Plymouth, Dover, Rochester.

Group Home Intermediate level residential care in Concord, NH. Serves youth 13 - 19 who cannot live at home. Treatment includes milieu therapy, counseling, therapeutic recreation, and independent living preparation. Emergency overnight and short term crisis care provided.

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program An outpatient program for youth 12 - 21 who are experiencing problems with drug/alcohol use. Comprehensive screening, assessments, individual, family and group therapy is available.

Therapeutic Day Treatment Program Intensive daily programs and treatment services for court-ordered youth ages 13-18, and their families.

Designed to prevent costly residential placement.

Housing Support Program Works to re-house young adults who are at risk of becoming homeless.

Provides security deposits, subsidizes utility bills, assists with employment and building independent living skills and covers rent while individual becomes self-sufficient.

SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES An array of school based programs dedicated to ensuring positive aca-

demic and social outcomes. Focuses on substance abuse prevention, violence prevention, successful home and school partnerships, life skills training, positive peer leadership and goal development. Provides individual, family and/or group counseling and case management services.

K – 12.

COUNSELING Therapeutic counseling for children, youth and adults, couples and families. Help with child behaviors, problems in school, divorce, step-family adjustment, family violence, relationship conflicts, emotional complaints, stress, self-defeating behaviors, addictive behaviors, loss and trauma,

anxiety, phobias, compulsions. Offers a full program of family life education groups. Our professional team of licensed therapists have specialized training in working with children and families. Supervision meets the highest standards of the National Association of Social Workers, National Board for Counselor Certification, and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Healthcare for the Homeless Family Mental Health Services — Partnership with Families First Health and Support Center.Provides community-based counseling and support to homeless families in the Seacoast

FAMILY SUPPORT / PRESERVATION Family Resource Centers A place for families to go for parent education, skill building, social net-

Spring 2012 | Child and Family Services working, support, family activities, empowerment and to gain access to community resources.

Education & Support Groups CFS offers a variety of groups for parents throughout the state. Each series focuses on a specific area of interest such as divorce, children with special needs, teens, family finances, fatherhood, blended families, etc., and follow a different curriculum. New groups are being added all the time.

Please visit cfsnh.org Healthy Families Home Visiting Program A home visiting program for low income pregnant women. A team of nurses, social workers, developmental specialists, health educators and home visitors provide a wide array of services to families to ensure good prenatal care, successful birth outcomes, positive early parent/child relationships and optimal early childhood development outcomes.

Reach Services Provides short-term homecare assistance to families dealing with serious illness. Includes house-cleaning, meal preparations and organizing children’s household routines.

Resident Services Provides on-site services to residents of low-income housing complexes.

Includes social, enrichment, health/ wellness and family strengthening services in order to increase selfsufficiency and success of families in residence.

Parent Aide (Child Health Support Services) Provides supervised visits between parents and children and offers practical help with parenting and household management.

Partners in Health Assists families who have a child (birth to 21) with a chronic health condition. Family-centered. Helps families to identify and access resources, and assists with school, insurance companies, medical providers and other resources/services.

Integrated Home Based Services (NH) Intensive Family Based Services (VT)

A short-term service designed to restore positive functioning in families that need multiple interventions.

Home-based services include family therapy, tracking, and /or parent support.

Permanency Solutions (Individual Service Options) A multi-faceted program that tailors a variety of therapeutic, social and community-based services to the specific needs of a child and his/ her family. Serves high risk families and children with special needs.

Facilitates reunification and/or permanence. Specializes in foster care placement and foster parent recruitment, training and support.

Foster Care Finds foster families/homes for children in need. Provides training, ongoing support, respite care, resources and assistance with practical, financial, health, social and educational issues. Endeavors to create a safe, stable, positive home environment for each child.

Circle of Parents® Parent-led support groups where parents can share information and experiences on a variety of topics such as parent-child communication, youth culture, school behaviors, conflict resolution, goals and expectations and more, in a nonjudgmental atmosphere. Facilitated by trained professionals, the groups are free of charge and accessible to all.

Fatherhood Initiative A partnership between CFS and the NH Department of Corrections to help incarcerated fathers to improve parenting skills while on the inside and prepare them for life with their family once they return to the community.

Also, helps reduce recidivism.

ELDER & INDEPENDENT LIVING Home Care Helps frail seniors, individuals with disabilites and those recovering from illness or injury to maintain quality of life and independence in the comfort of their own home. Skilled and caring professionals including personal care service providers, licensed nursing assistants, a registered nurse, homemakers and companions. assist in meeting clients’ physical, emotional and environmental needs. Provides assistance with ambulation, nutrition, personal care, medication reminders and household maintenence.

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SUMMER CAMP

at Gorham.

Camp Spaulding An overnight summer camp for boys and girls ages 8-14. Camp activities include arts & crafts, horseback riding, archery, canoeing, fishing, swimming lessons, hiking, field trips, activity days, campfires and high and low ropes courses.

Healthy Families Nursing and home visiting support for pregnant parents. Services continue through baby’s first year of life. Partners: Manchester VNA; Home, Health and Hospice; Upper Valley Youth Tobacco Prevention Campaign. Lead agency: Upper Valley Prevention Partnership. Major partner: DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center for Continuing Education.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION & OUTREACH ParentLine A toll-free “warm line” where callers can talk confidentially to a CFS counselor who answers questions on developmentally effective discipline techniques, ways of handling conflict or self-doubt and appropriate services and resources a parent may want to consider. ParentLine questions may also be sent through email or mail to CFS headquarters. Call: 1-800-640-6486 Information & Referral Helps to connect people to services and resources in their communities.

Call: 1-800-640-6486 Adventure-Based Learning program Features 11 low and 10 high ropes elements facilitated by trained counselors. Builds confidence, teamwork, trust, communication and commitment. Open to corporate or private groups in half day or full day blocks.

Located at Camp Spaulding, Penacook, NH.

FOSTER CARE Permanency Solutions / ISO See listing under Family Support

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Deployment Cycle Support Program A military-civilian partnership designed to assist service members and their families before, during and after deployment. Care coordinators work with families to provide anything from mental health counseling, home-based family support, transportation, housing, emergency financial assistance, counseling for children at home and school, child care and respite services, employment assistance, help with accessing and navigating healthcare system, and more: Lead agency: Easter Seals Family Partnership Program Home-based parenting support that also helps to connect families with resources in their communities. Lead agency: The Family Resource Center

Community Health Initiative Integrates behavioral and primary healthcare. Makes services accessible to families in need. Partners: Manchester Community Health Center, Health First in Franklin and Families First Health Center in Portsmouth.

Healthcare for the Homeless Primary healthcare, mental health and substance abuse services to people who are homeless. Seacoast. Lead agency: Families First.

Childcare Collaborative Clinical assessment and consultation services to teachers and parents helps to mainstream more children into childcare programs. Partner: Portsmouth Community Childcare Center and other childcare centers on an individual case basis.

Collaborative Post-Adoption Services Support for families adopting children through DCYF who were victims of abuse/neglect. Provides family strengthening classes and support services. Partner: Casey Family Services.

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment An outpatient program for youth 12 21 (12-24 in Hillsborough County) who are experiencing problems with drug/ alcohol use. Comprehensive screening, assessments, individual, family and group therapy is available.

Family Resource Centers See listing under Family Support Toddler Groups A partnership with The Children’s Place in Concord. Provides opportunities for parent-child interaction through play and nurtures social development of toddlers.

North Country Collaborative Family support network of Gorham Family Resource Center, Weeks Medical Center, Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital and Northern Human Services.

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Parenting Plus, Families Connecting These programs offer emotional support and practical solutions in managing family life. In-home education and support helps to develop skills in areas of discipline, communication, budgeting, nutrition, conflict resolution and resourcefulness. Services can include part-time child care and short-term overnight placement.

www.cfsnh.org

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage

P.O. Box 448 Manchester, NH 03105

Change Services Requested

“Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future.� ~ Steve Jobs

PAID

Manchester, NH Permit No. 6167