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Together with You,
Building Safe, Stable and Nurturing
Families and Communities
for both Our Present and Our Future | |
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2010 Board of Trustees
Deborah Chase,
Gilmanton
Janice Fitzpatrick,
Candia
Raymond Gagnon,
Claremont
Sen. Peggy Gilmour RN,
Hollis
Rep. Anne Grassie,
Rochester
Courtney H.G. Herz, Esq.,
Secretary, Hopkinton
Peirce Hunter, M.D.,
Chair, Bow
Kristina Ickes, MBA,
Candia
Audrey Knight, MSN, RN,
Hopkinton
Sen. Bette Lasky,
Nashua
Robert MacGowan,
Webster
Rep. Betsy McKinney,
Treasurer, Londonderry
Lauren Noether, Senior
Assistant Attorney Gen.,
Concord
Malcolm Smith, PhD, CFLE,
Durham
Brenda Tibbetts, Vice Chair, Colebrook |
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2010 Staff
2010 Interns
2010 Volunteers
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Dear Friends:
I love New Hampshire. Despite many challenges, our families and communities are stronger than ever. We are there for each other when the power lines come down and when our athletes compete in the Olympics; When a friend is looking for employment and when our children perform in a play; when a loved one passes on and when a baby enters this world. As the lead agency, designated by the Governor to create and implement the state child abuse and neglect prevention plan, we have the privilege of recognizing your efforts to build safe, stable and nurturing families and communities.
We are celebrating the arrival of our new Director of Technical Assistance and Evaluation, Becky Berk. Please join us in welcoming her to our team. Becky pulled out a snippet from our 2007-2009 published report on the Impact of Family Support in NH for this newsletter. You can feel confident that your investments of time and money in NH family support programs are producing great outcomes for children and families. Congratulations to all of the wonderful family support programs who participated in the evaluation.
In February, we celebrated the achievements of 28 parents with the Unsung Hero Award. There are numerous parents and caregivers doing extraordinary things in New Hampshire.
In April, we will be recognizing the work of community groups, schools, child care and family resource centers, faith communities, colleges and others to raise awareness about the problem and solutions of child abuse and neglect through the Strengthening Families and Communities Campaign. Already a dozen groups have signed on to create a display and send us their photo. Scroll down to find out how you too can be part of the campaign.
In May, we will be celebrating the work of faith communities, businesses and family support programs through our two day Smith Events with Prevent Child Abuse America CEO, Jim Hmurovich. We have received eleven applications for the Smith Award for Excellence in Service to Families which will be presented at the Capitol Center for the Arts on Thursday, May 20th. The winner will join a group of exemplary programs including, Families First Health and Support Center, The Heights Neighborhood Family Center, The Hub Family Resource Center, The Family Resource Center at Gorham, The Grapevine Family and Community Resource Center and the Upper Room: a Family Resource Center.
Scroll down to find out how you can reserve your space at the Business Breakfast, Interfaith Luncheon, and Awards program. Corporations, Civic Groups, Foundations and Individuals are invited to join us in recognizing these outstanding efforts in NH by sponsoring these events.
Also in May will be the presentation of the first Lucy Fowlkes Breed Family Support Volunteer Award. We are thrilled to offer this recognition and cash prize to a NH volunteer who has made a difference in the lives of children and families. Nominations will be accepted until April 30th. More information can be found in the newsletter.
It is our pleasure to work together with you to strengthen families and communities and keep children safe. Thank you for all that you do to make NH a great place to live.
With gratitude,
Keryn
Keryn Bernard-Kriegl
Executive Director
PS. It's tax time and we have some resources to help you maximize your return at the end of this newsletter. For local resources contact your community family support program. A list can be found on our web site under Family Support New Hampshire.
Maximize your dollar!
For every dollar you donate to the New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund, we are able to leverage federal dollars through our Community Based Child Abuse Prevention contract. This means your dollar goes farther to help us build safe, stable and nurturing families and communities. |
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Becky Berk, Technical Assistance & Evaluation Director |
 Becky Berk joined the NHCTF as the Technical Assistance and Evaluation Director on March 1. The position is designed to support community-based programs in measuring and improving outcomes, to assist in strategic planning and to build capacity for child abuse prevention.
Becky comes most recently from Southeastern Regional Education Service Center (SERESC) where she helped coordinate a statewide education initiative in positive behavioral interventions and supports in K-12 schools and preschools. Becky has a long history of working in New Hampshire non-profits and education, and she is eager to begin meeting with NHCTF program partners and stakeholders in this critical work. Becky can be reached at 224-1279 or at [email protected].
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Lucy Fowlkes Breed
Family Service Volunteer Award
Nominations Accepted April 1 through April 30 |
On May 20, 2010 the NH Children's Trust Fund will award the first Lucy Fowlkes Breed Family Service Volunteer Award during the Smith Award for Excellence in Service to Families celebration at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord.
Candidates for the LFB Family Service Volunteer Award will have volunteered at a local NH public or private non-profit which serves children and/or families. They will have provided direct service to families. Via their unpaid service, candidates will be working to strengthen families and the community. The volunteer service must have taken place over the past two years, but may have started before then. Click here for the nomination form. Click here for details about the award.
Lucy Fowlkes Breed Volunteering at The Children's Place and Parent Education Center in Concord
In 1972, while volunteering in a New York City childcare agency, Lucy realized families needed parenting education and support to give their children the best start in life. So Lucy returned to school after a ten- year hiatus to finish her BA in Psychology and MA in Developmental Psychology. She graduated in 1977 from Columbia Teachers College having focused on early childhood development and parenting education.
Lucy got involved with the Children's Place and Parent Education Center because she recognized the need. "At the time there wasn't much support for young families except medical care." Lucy has been a long-time volunteer, founding and dedicating 20 years as the facilitator of the New Parents Support Group at the Children's Place and Parent Education Center in Concord. Lucy also served as a founding trustee on the board of the NH Children's Trust Fund, dedicating 14 years as board member 8 of those years as board chair. Upon her retirement, the New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund set up the Lucy Fowlkes Breed Legacy Fund in her honor.
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Blue Ribbon/ Pinwheel Campaign Strengthening Families and Communities
April 2010 |
LET US COME TOGETHER
Alyssa Azotea, MS
The time has come for us to come together and show our children how much they mean to us! Time for us to tell them they deserve to be safe, healthy and happy! That no matter what, every child is loved unconditionally, with hope for their future, because we believe in them! We can begin right here in NH.
 The Governor will be declaring April as Strengthening Families and Communities Month and many public and private agencies and groups will be sponsoring awareness raising activities. For 2010, we are encouraging groups to create displays using one or both of the symbols for prevention, blue ribbons and pinwheels. We encourage your group to create a display that conveys the message that "strong families and communities keep kids safe" and/or "child abuse is preventable and we all play a part".
Please help us by joining the NH Children's Trust on our Strengthening Families and Communities Blue Ribbon/ Pinwheel Campaign of 2010. Simply request a form from us at [email protected], fill out the participation form and let us know if you will need to purchase pinwheels for your activity. Please submit this form to Alyssa Azotea by March 30th. Then just send pictures so we can share them with the public! What a great way to show support for our children! Here is a list of participating organizations so far:
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Baby-Time
- Stay and Play Early Learning Center
UNH Family Studies Dept.
The Children's Winter Garden
PSU Social Work Club
The Family Resource Center at Gorham
Wentworth-Douglas Hospital Early Learning Center
VNA Parent Baby Adventure Program
VNA Child Care and Family Resource Center
The Children's Place and Parent Education Center
- Farmington Children's Center
Please join these organizations and the NH Children's Trust in your support of NH's Children! For more information, please contact me at [email protected] or request information at [email protected]. It's time for us to come together!
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Biennial Smith Award for Excellence in Service to Families
and
First annual Lucy Fowlkes Breed Family Support Volunteer Award
with Guest Speaker
Jim Hmurovich
President and CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America |
Thursday May 20 11:30-1:00 pm
Interfaith Luncheon in Concord with Jim Hmurovich and panel of religious leaders. $10/person
Thursday May 20 4:30-7:00 pm
Biennial Smith Award for Excellence in Service to Families and first annual Lucy Fowlkes Breed Family Support Volunteer Award at the Capitol Center for the Arts with Jim Hmurovich. Free event.
2008 winner: Upper Room, Derry (pictured: Len Wilson, Sovereign Bank, Kimberly Bavaro, Upper Room, Charles DeGrandpre, McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, PA)
Friday May 21 7:30-9:00 am Business Breakfast in Manchester at Sheehan, Phinney, Bass and Green, PA with Jim Hmurovich and panel of business leaders and the Task Force on Work and Family. $25/person
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NH Family Support Program Outcomes
2007 through 2009 | |
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The NHCTF has completed a report on outcomes from 2007 through 2009 based on hundreds of participant surveys from a broad cross-section of family-strengthening and primary prevention programs across the state. In addition to demographic information and participant satisfaction, the surveys measured participants' self-reported change across seven protective factors. Protective factors - such as supportive relationships, parental confidence, accessing community resources and nurturing and attachment - serve to offset family stress, increase parenting skills and lessen the risk for child abuse and neglect.
The report, "Strengthening Families: The Impact of New Hampshire Family Support Programs,"indicates that, for each of the three consecutive years of data collection, participants have consistently shown statistically significant levels of positive change across every protective factor measured. Even more encouraging, the vast majority of participants who reported low scores on protective factors at the beginning of their program reported high scores as a result of their program participation. Thus, family resource and child abuse prevention programs in New Hampshire are effective in increasing protective factors for all demographic groups, particularly those most in need of assistance.
The NHCTF intends to deepen and extend its use of such data to identify a) the specific programmatic approaches that realize the greatest improvements in increasing protective and reducing risk factors and b) the degree to which different demographic groups are adequately served. As a result of this ongoing work, NHCTF expects to identify and highlight gaps in effective, preventive services that should be systematically addressed.
For more information, please contact Becky Berk, Technical Assistance and Evaluation Director at the NHCTF.
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Strengthening Families and Communities, Preventing Abuse
NHCTF has your free copies of Strengthening Families and Communities: 2010 Resource Guide! Developed for service providers, the guide highlights strategies to strengthen families by promoting key protective factors that prevent child abuse and neglect. It also includes tip sheets in both English and Spanish to share with parents.
The Resource Guide is produced annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention. The 2010 guide was developed with input from numerous national organizations, Federal partners, and parents committed to strengthening families and communities.
The guide can picked up at the NHCTF offices at 10 Ferry St Suite 315 in Concord, downloaded or ordered. Or contact Child Welfare Information Gateway at 1.800.394.3366 or [email protected]
Service providers can find additional materials in the Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect section of the Information Gateway website. This web section includes resources for National Child Abuse Prevention Month, as well as information on evaluating and funding prevention programs, enhancing protective factors, and effective parenting.
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  Did you know that some people may be eligible for up to $5,657cash back just for filing their taxes?? Now you do!
Earned Income Tax Credit
What it is: The Earned Income Credit (EITC) is a federal tax credit for low- and moderate-income workers that can be used to offset taxes owed or as an income supplement in the form of cash back. Simply by filling out an additional form while filing taxes, families who earn up to $48,000 annually may be eligible for as much as $5657.
Who it benefits: Workers raising children who earned up to $48,000 in 2009 may be eligible for the EITC. Workers not raising children who earned less than about $13,000 can also qualify. Even workers who owe no taxes may be able to receive the credit.
Why it's important for the workplace: The Earned Income Tax Credit is one of the most important financial supports available to lower-income individuals and working families. Helping to ensure that your employees know about, and file for, the EITC can significantly boost their income - it's almost like making sure they get an annual bonus that can help them to cover their personal and family expenses. Of all the earned benefits out there, it may be the one that can best ensure that they'll be better able to manage financially and, consequently, contribute to workplace success.
How to help employees apply: To claim the credits eligible workers must file a tax return. So, it's important to encourage employees to file even if they don't owe taxes. Also, be sure to let them know about Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). This IRS-sponsored program works with community
organizations to provide tax preparation to low-income tax filers for free. You can get VITA site locations by calling the IRS.
In addition, there are lots of outreach tools available that you can download and use in your workplace: The National Human Service Assembly's Bridging the Gap resource page includes a variety of important informational links on the EITC and other federal tax credits, including a comprehensive toolkit that we're co-sponsoring with Corporate Voices for Working Families, which specifically focuses on helping HR and employers to do EITC outreach.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is another great resource for tax credit information, and has created an in-depth community and client-oriented EITC toolkit.
Also, be sure to check out the different resources and tools being put out by the National Community Tax Coalition; the National Women's Law Center; and the National League of Cities. |
The New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund was established in 1986 by legislative statute RSA 169-C:39 to support programs in New Hampshire that work to prevent child abuse and neglect. Our focus is primary prevention initiatives that keep children safe and families strong.
The New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund believes that the most effective way to keep our children safe from abuse and neglect is to foster the development of strong families. The New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund advocates for positive change in both state and federal policies that effect children and families.
The New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund is the New Hampshire chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America.
To find out more about our programs and partners, go to our website.
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Concord, New Hampshire 03301
(603) 224-1279
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