cape cod children`s place FAMILY NEWSLETTER

a non-profit family resource center
Volume 10, Issue 4
January/February 2015
cape cod children’s place
FAMILY NEWSLETTER
for families and caregivers of children living
on the Lower and Outer Cape
Special
Thanks!
Happy New Year!
Thank You to the Masonic Angel Fund for
their generous donation of winter jackets for
CCCP children...Thanks to the League Club of
Cape Cod for collecting books for the children in our classroom programs... Thank You
to the St. Vincent de Paul at St. Joan of Arc
for the donation of winter coats, hats, mittens, gift certificates and toys for children
whose families need help at this time of
year...Thank You to the Eastham Police
Union and the Nauset Regional High School
Council for bringing some Toys for Tots
donations to our families...Thank You to the
Laurel School 3rd and 4th grade students for
donating their tips from gift wrapping during
Brewster for the Holidays to Cape Cod Children’s Place...Thank You to Seamen’s Bank
for the use of the Michael Cole room at the
Wellfleet branch for the Lower Cape Early
Childhood Council celebration party for
Elizabeth Aldred..Thank You to East Brewster Dental for donating toothbrushes for
the children in our classrooms. Thank You to
the Brightman family for the generous
donation of several Christmas trees, to help
families with limited resources enjoy the
magic of the season with their children!
Inside this issue:
Advocacy Corner
2
Council News
2
Annual Meeting
3
Lower Cape Dads’ Talk
3
Parenting series/groups
4,7
Playgroups
5,6
News You Can Use
8
20th Anniversary news
9
And much more!
Five Ways To Keep Your
Family Happy and
Strong
(adapted from onetoughjob.org)
Children flourish when
they feel loved, nurtured
and supported by a strong
family. Every parent
wants the best for their
children and every family
can thrive. Here are five
ways that you can keep
and build a happy and
strong family.
Practice resilience.
Managing life’s stressful
moments, overcoming
challenges, and taking
care of yourself are all
ways that you can build
resilience.
∙
Take time to care for
your health and well
being. Exercise, try to
eat healthy foods, and
take some time to
relax. Everyone needs
time to recharge.
Schedule time for you
at least once a week
and ideally every day.
∙
Manage your stress
level. Stress can seem
like the constant companion for parents who
are juggling busy lives
at work and at home.
To learn more about
how parents can
manage stress see the
expert column at onetoughjob.org/your-
family/care/ask-theexperts.
Build your social
network. It’s important to
have people who you can
talk to and connect with.
∙
Join a parent support
group or playgroup
(check out the playgroup calendar and
parent support groups
in this newsletter).
∙
Meet new people while
doing something you
enjoy. Find a sport you
like, join the book club
at your local library, or
sign up for a class on
something you have
always wanted to do.
Ask for help. One of the
most important keys to
keeping your family
strong, healthy, and happy
is making sure that you
can cover your basic needs
from diapers to daycare.
Knowing where to find
help and knowing people
who can help you access
support can make this
process easier.
∙
Map out your support
systems. Make a list of
people and places that
you can go to for support. Use the list to
help you when you face
life’s inevitable
challenges (make sure
to add CCCP’s Family
Support team to your
list).
Be a life-long learner.
Parenting may be the
hardest subject you’ll ever
“study” but your natural
strengths and all the
wisdom you pick up along
the way will help you raise
and nurture a healthy and
happy child.
∙
Learn new
information. Subscribe
to an online parenting
newsletter, read parenting magazines, or
attend a parenting
class—Cape Cod
Children’s Place 8week series “Raising
Healthy Families” is a
great place to start
(see pg. 4 of this
newsletter for details).
∙
Reach out to people in
your social networks.
Don’t be afraid to ask
questions, share your
experience as a parent.
Nurture your child’s
social and emotional
growth. Make sure that
your children know that
they are loved and
respected, that they can
talk about their feelings,
and that you can help
them work through any
challenges they may face.
∙
Listen to your child
and encourage her to
express how she feels.
Help your child
problem solve.
Advocacy Corner
Congratulations Elizabeth!
Dottie Smith presented Cape Cod Children's Place's
Elizabeth Aldred a citation signed by Speaker of the
House Robert DeLeo, offered by State Representative
Sarah Peake. The citation is in recognition of twenty
years of service to Cape Cod Children's Place as a gifted
journalist, political activist and grant writer
extraordinaire. The citation was given to Elizabeth at a
party held at Seamen's Bank in Wellfleet last evening in
honor of Elizabeth's retirement. Although Elizabeth is
retiring she will continue to support Cape Cod
Children's Place in a different capacity through her
ongoing advocacy on behalf of children and families on
the Lower and Outer Cape.
Cape Cod Children’s Place board
update…
Cape Cod Children’s Place would like to
extend their gratitude to the following
outgoing board members for their
dedication and service on behalf of
CCCP staff and families:
∙
Liz Sorrell
∙
Gail Briere
∙
Ann Mahoney
∙
Amy Gibson
∙
Moira Kerry
Please join us in welcoming our newest
board members as we enter our 20th
year of caring for children and families
on the Lower and Outer Cape:
∙
Trina Brown
∙
Nicole Dutra
∙
Steve Roderick
∙
Lisa Sherman
∙
Kim Concra
∙
Deb Martin
Thank you to current board members
Kristen Roberts, Sally Macort and Kara
Risk for their continued support!
The Lower Cape Early Childhood Council
Everyone is welcome to come to
the monthly meetings of the
Lower Cape Early Childhood
Council. This informal group acts
in an advisory role to the
grant-funded programs
administered by Cape Cod
Children’s Place. Meetings are
monthly, generally on the third
Wednesday from 6-7:30 p.m. at
Cape Cod Children’s Place, on
Ballwic Rd. in N. Eastham.
media, including social media;
and planning for the Family Fun
Fair, scheduled to take place on
Saturday, March 28 at Nauset
Regional Middle School.
Come to a meeting, bring your
own ideas and topics for
discussion, or just enjoy an
evening focused on early
childhood. For more information
contact Meghan Kemp at
508-240-3310 or
The next meetings of the Council [email protected]
will be on January 21 and
February 25. Topics of
discussion will include the
ongoing conversation about
Lower Cape Dads’ Talk
Cape Cod Children’s Place
Annual Meeting
Wednesday, January 7
Wednesday, February 4
6:00—7:30 PM
Harwich Community Center
100 Oak St., Harwich
Parents, community members and all
interested persons are invited to attend
our Annual Meeting at Cape Cod
Children’s Place at 6 pm on Wednesday,
January 14. Come and find out about our
programs, the children and families we
serve, the grants we receive, and our plans
for the future. Meet our Board of Directors,
enjoy some refreshments, and help us
celebrate as we begin our 20th year as “a
place where children and families learn
and grow”.
Call 508.240.3310 for more information, or
to RSVP. Drop-ins are welcome.
With Paul Melville, family support
specialist. This is a great place to connect
with other local fathers and chat about
being a dad (or whatever else is on your
mind). All men are welcome to this nontherapeutic gathering, regardless of their
child(ren)’s age, their parenting situation,
and where they live. Free pizza and child
care. Please RSVP. Information or
registration: Paul Melville at 508-771-4336
ext. 2
Sponsored by the Cape Cod Neighborhood Support
Coalition, Cape Cod Children’s Place, Family
Support Project, and Harwich Early Childhood
Council.
Food Distribution:
The pantry provides food to anyone in need
with no geographic restrictions. The Family
Pantry is the largest pantry on Cape Cod that
is available for any-one to utilize. Clients
have a confidential
interview on their first visit and then are entitled to go for food every three weeks. Each client is allowed
to select the products that he or she wants. The pantry provides a large selection of healthy foods
including frozen meats, cheese, eggs, fresh produce as well as the canned and packaged food products.
Clothing:
The pantry also provides a selection of clothing in sizes infant through adult. All clothing is donated to
us and must be clean and in good working order.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Plan (Snap):
The pantry has volunteers trained to apply for SNAP assistance on site for their clients through an
online program. This is an ancillary service and helps our clients to have the ability to purchase other
foods that may not be available in the pantry.
Fuel Assistance:
The pantry has several volunteers trained to fill out the paperwork to apply for fuel assistance through
the South Shore Community Action Council. This is also an ancillary service provided to make it convenient for their clients to apply while at the pantry.
Address:
Client Hours:
133 Queen Anne Road
Tuesday: 10:00 am—3:30 pm
Harwich, MA 02645
Thursday: 10: am—3:30 pm and 5:00 pm—7:00 pm
Phone: 508-432-6519
Saturday: 10:00 am—12 noon
Fax: 508-432-7083
Raising Healthy Families
Tuesdays, January 13, 20, 27 &
February 3, 10, 24 &
March 3, 10, 2015
5:30—7:30 pm
Eastham Elementary School
200 Schoolhouse Rd.
Eastham
An eight-week parenting series
facilitated by Cindy Horgan,
Executive Director & Family
Support Coordinator at Cape
Cod Children’s Place, that will
provide skills to support parents
with some of the challenges that
make this job so difficult. Topics
to be discussed are: discipline
without yelling, how to handle
tantrums, understanding temperament and why our children
do what they do, the value of
routines, setting limits and
boundaries, and much more.
Free. Dinner and childcare
included. Pre-registration is
require; call 508-240-3310.
This program is funded by a
grant from the Bilezekian Family
Foundation with additional
funding provided by a grant from
the Cahn Funds for Social
Change, administered by Cape
Cod Children’s Place.
Dads’ Group
Wednesday Evenings
February 25 and March 4, 11, 18,
25, 2015
5:30-7:30 pm
Harwich Elementary School
Activity Room
263 South St., Harwich
Studies show that children grow
up happier and healthier with
nurturing fathers in their lives.
At this group you will have the
opportunity to hear other dads
experiences and share your own.
Create your own “toolbox” for
effective parenting by gaining
skills for handling challenging
behaviors, effective
communication & positive
discipline. Facilitated by Cindy
Horgan, Executive Director &
Family Support Coordinator at
Cape Cod Children’s Place and
Adam Pettengill, Early Childhood
Professional and Dad.
Free. Dinner and childcare will be
provided. Pre-registration is
required. Call CCCP to register:
508-240-3310. Please indicate if
you are in need of transportation.
Funding support provided by a
Family Centers grant through the
Children’s Trust and a
Coordinated Community &
Family Engagement grant,
administered by Cape Cod
Children’s Place.
Raising Healthy Boys
Thursday, January 29, 2015
up.
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Stony Brook Elementary School Free. Dinner and childcare will
384 Underpass Road, Brewster be provided. Pre-registration is
required; call 508-240-3310.
Join Cindy Horgan, Executive
Please indicate if you are in
Director & Family Support
need of transportation.
Coordinator for Cape Cod
Funding Provided by a Family
Children’s Place and discover
Centers grant through the
the unique needs of boys as they
Children’s
Trust and a Coordinated
grow and develop. Learn to
Community
& Family Engagement
promote skills that support their
(CFCE)
grant
through the MA Dept.
healthy emotional development
of Early Education & Care, adminand how to recognize the impact
istered by Cape Cod Children’s
of media, culture and technology
Place.
on boys and the messages they
take from these influences.
Become aware of current trends
that affect boys and learn to
support our boys as they make
sense of the process of growing
Preparing for Kindergarten
you are in need of
Thursday, February 5, 2015
transportation.
5:30-7:30 pm
Orleans Elementary School
Funding support provided by a
46 Eldredge Park Way, Orleans
Family Centers grant through the
Join Cindy Horgan, Executive
Director and Family Support
Coordinator at Cape Cod
Children’s Place in a discussion
about how to prepare your child
socially and emotionally, as well
as how to handle separation
anxiety for a healthy transition.
Free. Pizza dinner and childcare
included with registration.
Pre-registration is required. Call
Cape Cod Children’s Place at
508-240-3310. Please indicate if
Children’s Trust and a Coordinated
Community & Family Engagement
grant through the Mass. Dept. of
Early Education and Care,
administered by Cape Cod
Children’s Place.
News You Can Use...
Infant Feeding Group:
Wednesday, January 14
10-11 am
Gabrielle Hathaway at Outer
Cape WIC, 79 Finlay Rd., Orleans
Happiest Baby on the Block:
Wednesday, February 11
10-11 am
Gabrielle Hathaway at Outer
Cape WIC, 79 Finlay Rd., Orleans
Kennedy Donovan Center:
Family Support Networking
Group:
Connect with others for support,
information, advocacy, discussion,
encouragement, and new
possibilities! Open to everyone:
parents, teachers, caregivers,
siblings, and special needs
individuals of all abilities.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015 &
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
10:30 am—12:00 pm
At Eastham Senior Center, 1045
Nauset Rd. Contact Juliane
Dillon at 508-385-6019 or
[email protected]
Early Intervention
Presentation for parents and
professionals of children ages
birth to 3
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
5 pm—7 pm
West Barnstable Community
Building
2377 Meetinghouse Way Rt. 149
West Barnstable
Join Barbara Prindle Eaton,
OTL/R, Ceis/D Interim Executive
Director and Director of Cape &
Islands Early Intervention
Program, and Judy Harrison,
Early Intervention Regional
Director, Lower Cape for this
important interactive
presentation. Topics to be covered
will include early childhood
education, interventions,
transitioning into pre-school,
preschool and much more. A light
supper and limited child care will
available. Registration is
required. For information and
registration please contact
Juliane Dillon at 508-385-6019
x125 or email [email protected].
Father & Baby Pizza Party
Thurs., January 22, 2015
6-8 pm
Cape Cod Hospital
Lorusso Conference Center
27 Park St., Hyannis
With Ann Macdonald, RN, BSN,
CCE and Paul Melville, family
support specialist. Dads: Come
show off your baby, connect with
other dads, and learn about
resources for local families. Free
pizza dinner. Sponsored by Cape
Cod Healthcare and the Families
United Network Program of Cape
Cod Child Development.
Information or registration: Ann
at 508-862-5123.
MotherWoman Support
Group—Circle of Moms:
Thursdays
10 am—12 pm
701 Airline Road, Brewster/
Dennis line
For pregnant & postpartum
women and their babies up to 1
year old. Snacks, childcare &
limited transportation available.
For more information & to
register: 508-775-6240 x512.
Head Start Home-Based
Program :
Head Start offers a home-based
program for children of preschool
age and their families. This
program is available on the
Lower and Outer Cape, although
there is no Head Start classroom
in this region. The program
includes a weekly 1.5 hour visit in
your home, and two socialization
groups per month in a community
setting. For more information,
call Jennelle Klun at 508-7756240 x 326.
Grand Parenting Support
Group
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
8:30—9:30 a.m.
Harwich Family Resource Center
(left side entrance of Harwich
Elementary School)
Sue Landers, LICSW—
Facilitator. Coffee &
refreshments served. Free of
charge. For more information or
to register, please call Francie
Joseph 508-430-1692.
Celebrate with us!
In early 2015, Cape Cod Children’s Place will launch a celebratory fund-raising campaign to
help sustain our services to young children and their families. The campaign’s goal is to
raise $50,000. We are well on our way to our goal with our first challenge pledge of $20,000
from an anonymous donor.
Need
The building in North Eastham was constructed in 1994. Shortly thereafter, in 1995, we
opened our doors. Twenty years later, the facility needs upgrades and repairs to the roof,
siding and floors. CCCP needs more parking. Replacing the current carpet with permanent
flooring is key for our children’s health, particularly those with allergies, and for maintaining
cleanliness. The Sea Babies Program in Wellfleet also needs new floors.
Campaign Goals and Timeline
The targeted campaign will run from January – April, 2015 and will raise the $30,000
needed to meet the generous challenge and achieve our goal. Several friends in the
community have offered to open their homes for house parties to help introduce CCCP to new
donors. The 20th Anniversary Dinner at the Captain Linnell House in Orleans on Friday,
April 24, 2015 will celebrate the successful conclusion of the campaign.
Invest in CCCP’s Next 20 Years
We hope everyone will want to invest in CCCP’s next twenty years by helping us make these
improvements to our facility to maintain a healthy environment for our children
NON PROFIT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
ORLEANS, MA 02653
PERMIT NO. 54
cape cod children’s place
P.O. Box 1935
10 Ballwic Road, off Nauset Road
N. Eastham, MA 02651
508.240.3310 telephone
800.871.9535 toll free
508.240.2352 fax
[email protected]
www.capecodchildrensplace.com
Check out this newsletter “in color”
on-line at our website.
This edition of the Cape Cod Children’s Place Family Newsletter was made possible through the generosity of the Cahn Funds for Social Change and the
Children’s Trust.
HELPFUL FAMILY CONTACTS & RESOURCES
For a more comprehensive list of resources and services check out The Lower Cape Family Resource Guide on-line at
www.capecodchildrensplace.com or request a copy at 508.240.3310.
A Baby Center
508.771.8157
Basic items for infants and toddlers up to age three living on Cape Cod and Islands
Al-anon
508.394.4555
Offering support for friends and families of problem drinkers
Cape & Island Breast Feeding Warm Line
888.890.2229
Lactation services and classes are available to local Cape and Islands mothers
Child Support Enforcement-Mass DOR
508.771.2414 x 3 Assistance in enforcing the financial responsibilities of parenthood
Consumer Credit Counseling
800.208.2227
Budgeting and debt consolidation assistance
Family Support Program and Maternal
Depression/Cindy Horgan
Fuel Assistance Program
508.240.3310
Free referrals to parenting resources, child and family therapists, etc.
508.746.6707
Emergency fuel/heating help
Healthy Connections
508.255-1903
Referrals for free/low cost health insurance
Homeless Prevention Council
508.255.9667
Counseling, advocacy, resources and referral services
Independence House
La Leche League/Gabrielle
508.771.6507
508.237.8786
Cape Cod’s Resource Center for Victims & Survivors of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault.
Providing education, information, and support to women who want to breastfeed
Lower Cape Outreach Council
508.240.0694
Providing short-term emergency assistance to Lower Cape families and individuals
Mass APEAL
508.349.1173
Free clothing as well as information on Serve New England Program
MSPCC
800.272.9722
Protecting and promoting the rights and well-being of children & families
Outer Cape Health Services
508.349.3131
Outer Cape Women, Infants and Children’s
(WIC) Nutrition Program
Parental Stress Line
800.675.1188
Providing high quality primary healthcare to those living in or visiting the 8 Lower/Outer Cape
towns, regardless of their financial situation
Supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education
800.632.8188
A free, confidential, and anonymous 24-hour parent helpline for parental support
Provincetown Family Resource Center
800.871.9535 or Providing support, referrals, and financial aid through the John A. Henry Trust administered by
508.237.2688
Cape Cod Children's Place
866.430.8111
Assisting Cape Cod women through the transition of divorce, career change or growth, job loss,
illness, or retirement
WE CAN