March 2013
The L.I.N.K. A Letter from Leslie... This is the time of year when the Joint Finance Committee which is composed of senators and representatives, Democrats and Republicans, begins to write the state’s budget. They hold hearings for each department of the government. In keeping with our tradition, Children & Families First testifies where there are critical issues that relate to our work. I testified at the Division of Family Services hearing and Board Member Ellen Levin spoke at the Division of Prevention and Behavioral Services. Board Member Tony Lewis spoke at the Division of Public Health and another Board Member Pam Harper spoke at the Division of Social Services. Our testimony highlighted what we see as important budget points and is also an important opportunity to share the work we are doing in those areas. All board members who testify are part of the Board’s Advocacy Committee. On Feb. 12th we hosted two visitors from Bulgaria. They came to the United States to attend Pew’s Home Visiting Conference in Washington to learn more about evidence-based practices to address the needs of the Roma population in their country. Romas, sometimes called Gypsies, are very poor, have higher rates of infant mortality, earlier death rates and frequently leave school at a very early age: females typically drop out in 4th grade; males drop out in 8th. The visitors met with staff from ARC, Healthy Families America and Nurse-Family Partnership. They went out on home visits and even had a chance to meet with Lt. Gov. Matt Denn who is an advocate for home visiting services in our state. It was a great opportunity for shared learning about different cultures while seeing commonality between peoples who are poor. March brings a few of our agency traditions. On March 2, we hold the annual A Taste for Art fundraiser in New Castle County. A Taste For Art brings together students in area culinary programs with local artists for a great evening. The food is terrific and artists donate a percentage of any item purchased to CFF. On March 12, the Board has its annual meeting at the Dover Sheraton. The evening begins at 5:00 pm with cocktails, followed by dinner and a short business meeting. We will be welcoming three new board members and thanking Tom Collins, our current Board Chair, for his years of service. The new slate of officers includes Jennifer Jonach as Chair, Katy Connolly as Vice Chair, Barbara Ridgely as Secretary, Pete Hazen as Treasurer and Paul McCommons as Assistant Treasurer. The evening is free for staff and you can RSVP to Jeanne Johonnett. It is a great opportunity to meet our board and celebrate our accomplishments.
New Henrietta Johnson Medical Center Dedicated On Monday, February 4, 2013, Senators Carper and Coons, Congressman John Carney, Henrietta Johnson CEO Rosa Rivera, Christina School District Superintendant Freeman Williams and our very own Leslie Newman gathered for a ceremonial dedication and ribbon cutting of the new Henrietta Johnson Medical Center’s Eastside location. The Henrietta Johnson Medical Center – Eastside is the result of a partnership between Children & Families First, Henrietta Johnson Medical Center, and the Christina School District. It offers complete medical and dental services from pre-natal and infant care to adult and geriatrics. Henrietta Johnson Medical Center services are provided to anyone who needs them in a confidential culturally sensitive manner, regardless of the ability to pay. This new location was made possible thanks to the generosity and commitment of partners like the Longwood Foundation, Welfare Foundation, Laffey McHugh Foundation, Bank of America Charitable Foundation and BlueCross BlueShield of Delaware BluePrints for the Community Fund. HJMC - Eastside is located at 600 N. Lombard St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Their hours are as follows: Monday: 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; First Saturday of the month: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Program Spotlight
Your responses to the LINK survey indicated that you were interested in receiving updates on CFF programs. In this issue, we focus on the Intensive Outpatient Therapy Program (IOP).
Intensive Outpatient Therapy (IOP) Children & Families First now offers Intensive Outpatient Counseling Services for youth and their families in Kent and Sussex Counties, targeting youth ages 10-18 with a primary mental health diagnosis. Our IOP program offers a unique combination of individual and family therapy, in conjunction with case management. We use a team approach: each IOP Team includes a Functional Family Therapist (whose client is the family, and who serves as the team lead); individual therapist (whose client is the youth); a case manager (responsible for building wraparound supports to the family and providing psychosocial groups). Youth also have access to psychiatric services (assessments, consultation, and medication management). Services are provided in homes, school, and other community locations. Psychosocial groups and psychiatric services are held at CFF offices in Dover and Georgetown, and can also be provided in community locations. Eligibility for the service is determined by the Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health. For more information, contact Program Manager Kerri Lohrfink at 302-674-8384 or kerri.lohrfink@cffde.org.
Bulgarian Delagation Visits CFF On February 12, 2013, two representatives from the America for Bulgaria Foundation visited Children & Families First to learn about the Nurse-Family Partnership and home visiting. America for Bulgaria Foundation CEO, Sarah Perrine and Early Education Officer, Iskra Stoykova spent the day with Leslie Newman, and staff from our Nurse-Family Partnership, Healthy Families America, and ARC programs. They participated in two home visits to local families to see our work in action. The day closed with a meeting with Delaware’s Lieutenant Governor, Matt Denn, who has been a vocal supporter of home visiting initiatives. CFF is now recognized as a leader in the implementation of evidence-based home visiting. When David Olds, the developer of the Nurse-Family Partnership, needed an agency to meet with a delegation from Europe interested in learning more about NFP and how it could be used to address child health outcomes among the Roma population in Bulgaria, he contacted Children & Families First. The America for Bulgaria Foundation is participating in a movement to help the Bulgarian Roma community achieve inclusion while improving their education, employment, health, and housing. America for Bulgaria intends to make critical investments in social programs that work. One area of investment is around home visiting. The Nurse-Family Partnership has been identified as an evidence-based program Bulgarians could learn from so Roma will have healthy babies and raise healthy children.
Thank you! The Development Team is working hard to make sure the Children & Families Special Funds are available to meet the one-time needs of our clients. On Friday, February 22, Pete Scarborough from our Board presented Kirsten Olson with a $1,000 donation on behalf of Willis, our insurance broker. Other recent funders include the Christmas Shop Foundation and the Safeway Foundation. For more information on the Children & Families Special Funds, please contact Kirsten at (302) 777-9764 or Kirsten.olson@cffde.org.
Annual Meeting Please join us for Children & Families First's 2013 Annual Meeting Tuesday, March 12th Sheraton Dover Hotel 1570 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901 5 PM - 6 PM Cocktail Hour (hors d'oeuvres and cash bar) 6 PM to 7:15 PM Dinner Buffet 7:15 PM to 8:30 PM Annual Meeting RSVP to Jeanne Johonnett at 302-777-9742 or jeanne.johonnett@cffde.org