Although she was thrilled to welcome a healthy baby boy, Carter, the anxiety continued. Becoming
a new parent is difficult, regardless of socioeconomic circumstances. Research shows that perinatal
mental health can affect the well-being of the entire family. First Connections, a short-term home
visiting program offered by Children’s Friend, helped ease the transition and anxiety for Amanda and her family.

“It was so helpful to have access to a medical professional during that time. From reassurance that we
were doing the right things for Carter to connecting me with resources to make sure that my mental and physical health were taken care of, the support was incredible,” said Amanda. “We have a robust support system, but First Connections gave us the strong start that all families deserve.”

This program is focused on the health of the baby and mother, ensuring both are supported and receive the care they need in those precious early days.

Home visiting programs offer parents and children support in their own environment. This reduces the burden on families with little ones and allows them to be comfortable in their own space for education on breastfeeding and infant care. In addition, they are receiving support based on the tools and resources they have in their home.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy and confidentiality.

The post The Strong Start appeared first on Children's Friend.

Every family enrolled in our Early Head Start and Head Start programs is paired with a Family Advocate, whose focus is on improving family well-being and child outcomes. The family advocate works in partnership with the parents or guardians to establish goals, provide support, and assist with community referrals.

When Melissa reflects on her caseload, she says it can be overwhelming at times. It’s hard to believe the occurrence and intensity of poverty and violence that is reality for too many families in our community. She navigates this by focusing on the individual family and the actions they can take to improve their lives for the benefit of their children.

“Families need different things from us. They are all at different stages when they come through our doors,” said Melissa. “Our job is to meet them where they are and empower them to make the changes they are capable of making to support their child.”

The work she does is life-changing.

Melissa sees clients who go back to school when their child comes to Children’s Friend, and by the
time the child heads to kindergarten, the parent is graduating with their master’s degree. She’s helped
parents navigate custody battles, domestic violence, housing insecurity, health challenges, and major life circumstances, all while keeping their child safe and connected to stability through their Head Start community.

“What sets Children’s Friend apart is our ability to walk with families. They trust us, and in turn, they are supported and can make incremental changes to better their lives,” said Melissa. “There is a reason we’ve existed for over 190 years. There are a lot of nonprofits, but none like this, none with the level of experience, community connections, and commitment.”

Melissa says parents often express disbelief at the amount of support Children’s Friend can offer, stating, “I have gone to so many organizations, and nobody has actually helped me, but you did.”
Family advocates, like Melissa, work behind the scenes to ensure that children and families in Early Head Start and Head Start can have better opportunities and outcomes that last for generations.

The post The Role of a Family Advocate appeared first on Children's Friend.

By the time Kathleen gave birth to her son in 2007, she had grown curious. She couldn’t answer medical history questions with any certainty, and she wanted to know more. Legislation was passed in 2011 allowing adult adoptees from Rhode Island to request a copy of their original birth certificate. Kathleen decided to submit her request.

As she opened the envelope, she was most surprised to learn that she had a different name at birth. It didn’t fit the image of the woman she had become. Then the details of her entrance into this world started to come into focus.

She learned she was adopted through an agency called Children’s Friend. She learned about her biological parents. She learned she had a full biological brother. She also learned that four of the neighborhood kids she’d grown up with were actually relatives. These connections brought a new and deeper meaning to fond childhood memories.

One day she mustered the courage to call the work phone of her biological mother. She had decided to leave a message there so that she wasn’t disrupting anyone’s life, should her mother have family members who didn’t know this detail about her past.

Kathleen kept her expectations in check. She was pleasantly surprised to receive a call back. As she learned more about her biological family, and met a new cast of relatives, thanks to the ubiquity of social media and the internet, her appreciation for her adoptive parents and their love grew, too.

She gained a new perspective on the opportunities her parents – both biological and adoptive – had given her.

Children’s Friend is a small but essential part of Kathleen’s story. It brought her to her parents, who raised her with the opportunities every child deserves, and her life as she knows it.

The post Being Kathleen appeared first on Children's Friend.

Five months passed without another call, but Elaine didn’t forget.

Lisa was caught in the grip of substance use disorder; she was surviving on the margins and was often homeless. There had already been a tragic stillbirth in her past. Elaine expected this pregnancy to end in much the same way. Again, Lisa sought no prenatal care, and she had no plan.

But still, something in Elaine’s mind lingered.

Months later another call came. An abscess had landed Lisa in the emergency room, where she learned that she was due in August. Elaine’s heart lurched. There was hope this child might survive. Elaine contacted the Department of Children, Youth, and Families and asked them to put Lisa on a watch list. She had decided she would do what she could to give this child the shot at life every child deserves.

August came, and Elaine was somewhat surprised when Lisa called again. This time she was desperate: “I gave birth. Are you coming? I’m calling and calling, and no one’s coming,” said Lisa on the other end.

Elaine dropped everything. When she arrived at the hospital and found Lisa’s room, there was someone monitoring her. Elaine asked Lisa where the baby was, and Lisa told her she’d had a cesarian section and she wanted out of the hospital. The baby was in the NICU, and Lisa hadn’t seen him.

“I know my rights,” Lisa said to Elaine. “I’ll sign myself out. I can leave and come back.”

Elaine was reeling as she left Lisa’s room. She nearly bumped into the charge nurse as she left. The nurse told her that there were five different substances in Lisa’s system. They were monitoring the baby, but he was stable and healthy despite all odds. She asked Elaine if she wanted to see him, and Elaine was the first person (other than medical staff) to hold baby Julius.

He was tiny and so fragile, but he was alive. And he had Elaine.

DCYF had granted Elaine full access to the hospital. She visited every day after work. And after only five days in the NICU, Julius was discharged to Elaine. Lisa never came back.

Elaine has five older children. It had been years since she had a baby, and she had none of the items she needed to care for him. Her friends rallied around her, bringing diapers, clothes, a crib – everything he needed. Just like that, Julius was home. Elaine didn’t miss a single day of work during this time. It was stressful, and she can’t quite remember how she made it through.

When Julius was 11 weeks old, he started Early Head Start at Children’s Friend.

“Children’s Friend wasn’t just a daycare—it was a second home. The teachers saw Julius for how wonderful he was. They really saw him. They noticed his bright eyes, and his endless cuddles.”

He was surrounded by the nurturing, care, and love he needed. And he and Elaine had a family advocate, Melissa Sanchez, on their team now.

Elaine took Julius to Disney when he was just 6 months old, his tiny hand reaching out to touch the Tree of Life. “It was more than a vacation,” she said. “It was a declaration. He is loved. He matters.”

But the battle for Julius’ fate was far from over.

His birth parents were in and out of jail. Elaine had to allow DCYF to take him to visitations. She was so afraid the system would see her as someone trying to hide him away.

Although Elaine had gone to the hospital to see Lisa, no one in her family knew that she was the one who took Julius home. They never asked. She kept Julius a secret from much of her own family, trying to protect him, not knowing how it would all end.

Then came the court hearings. Elaine’s half-brother called and told her that Lisa had said she planned to sign over her rights to her own mother. But according to Elaine, Lisa’s mother also has substance use issues. Suddenly, everyone had opinions about what was best for Julius even though they had no idea where he was. Throughout the saga, Julius had one constant: Elaine.

The path to adoption wasn’t easy. Working with DCYF and the family courts was challenging and emotional for Elaine. During this process, Children’s Friend was able to step in and advocate for Julius, knowing the level of concern, care, and commitment Elaine had shown. As a direct result of advocacy by Children’s Friend, Julius’ case was reassigned to a caseworker who made the path to adoption possible for Elaine and Julius.

It was Children’s Friend that connected Elaine to a CASA worker. Children’s Friend also helped identify signs of a gross motor delay and ensured that Julius would receive Early Intervention services from another agency. There were so many barriers and obstacles for Elaine and Julius, but together, with the support of Children’s Friend, they overcame them.

Elaine credits her family advocate, Melissa: “If she wasn’t there,” Elaine said, “I don’t know what I would’ve done.”

Julius’ adoption became official in April 2025, Elaine became his mom.

Julius is 19 months old now. He has five sisters and three step brothers. His world is full of people who show up, who love him, who fight for him.

“He’s right where he should be,” said Melissa.

*Name changed to protect identity.

The post Right Where He Should Be appeared first on Children's Friend.

“This is an incredible opportunity to step up and help children experience joy and have the clothing and essentials they need to make it through the winter months,” said David Caprio, President and CEO of Children’s Friend. “The Spirit of Giving Holiday Drive alleviates economic strain for families and allows children to feel the warmth of the holiday season.”

For over 30 years, Children’s Friend has operated the Spirit of Giving Holiday Drive to bring hope and joy to children in need through the holidays. The drive is a community effort that requires significant volunteer power, sponsors, and monetary donations to make the magic happen. Anyone or any organization or group can sponsor a family. Children’s Friend then matches sponsors with families and sends the sponsor a wish list specific to that family’s needs and wants for the holidays. The sponsor then shops for the items on the list, and Children’s Friend hand-delivers the gifts to families before December 24.

Those without the time or ability to shop can make a donation at ChildrensFriendRI.org and volunteers will shop for you.

“We need our community more than ever this year to help every child experience the holiday joy they deserve,” added Caprio.

The Children’s Friend Holiday Drive stands out from others in the area because families and children who benefit from the effort are enrolled in services through the agency. This means they continue to receive wraparound support even after the season has passed.

Visit SpiritofGivingDrive.org to sponsor a family, make a donation, or get involved.

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The post Spirit of Giving Holiday Drive to serve over 900 Rhode Island families appeared first on Children's Friend.

Amala’s Story

Amala’s family arrived in Rhode Island just a few months ago. They had been forced to leave their home in Sudan and seek refuge in the United States. Amala is the baby of the family, at four years old. When she arrived, she spoke only Arabic and a local Sundanese dialect. Through our partnership with Dorcas International, Children’s Friend learned about Amala and the incredible barriers she would need to overcome to have a chance at success in kindergarten. Children’s Friend was able to provide critical early education to Amala in our summer learning and enrichment program thanks to the support of donors like you. Amala is making friends and learning to speak English now. She’s getting familiar with an American classroom environment. Most of all, Amala loves going on field trips with her teachers and her new friends. She and her family are excited for her to start kindergarten.

Summer Learning & Enrichment

Summer, a season of fun for many, can be a time of struggle for some children and families. Children from low-income families are at the greatest risk: a lack of resources can lead to kids spending their days in hot apartments with little to do and inadequate meals and supervision. These are the immediate challenges, and the long-term consequences are more severe. Children who lack access to high-quality learning and enrichment programs through the summer often experience a decline in skills and knowledge, which sets them back compared to their peers.

Summer learning programs at Children’s Friend are designed to build foundational skills so our kids can arrive in kindergarten with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

We provide a safe educational environment chock-full of experiential enrichment, like trips to the zoo, the beach, and local parks. Our teachers are degreed experts in early education, and students receive nutritious meals and snacks while they engage in classroom activities that bolster their social-emotional development.

Learn more and apply.

The post Summer 2024 Newsletter appeared first on Children's Friend.

Advocating for Our ChildrenOn May 9, children from our Berkshire center visited the Rhode Island State House to call for investments in our children’s future as part of Child Care Awareness Day at the Rhode Island State House. Our children and families put real faces to the issues before our state legislators, and several members of our dedicated staff have made the case in passionate testimony. This year Children’s Friend staff have testified in support of the Child Care for Early Educators program, the Child Care is Essential Act (H7124), and in support of First Connections and Early Intervention programs. Each of these programs are critical to nurturing Rhode Island children and empowering families. Visit our advocacy page to find out more about our legislative priorities.

Your voice is needed now to encourage legislators to prioritize these issues. Our partners at RIght from the Start have an easy-to-use tool to send a message directly to your representatives. 

Are you interested in making an even bigger impact? We’re seeking new members for our luncheon planning committee, as we celebrate 190 years! Learn more and apply.

The post Spring 2024 Newsletter appeared first on Children's Friend.

The enduring impact of quality early education and community 

If you attended the 2023 Investing in Our Children Luncheon, then you likely remember the story of the Ledesma-Hunt family, whose two sons, Jeremy and Jeremiah, attended Head Start. You might recall how access to quality early education allowed the family to build and grow their business. Today, they continue to give back to Children’s Friend in countless ways. 

Children’s Friend was thrilled to honor J&A General Contractors with our 2023 Friend of Children Award in October. Learn more about their story:

In December, Jeremy continued his family’s tradition of generosity by helping facilitate the pick up of hundreds of toys and clothes donated to Children’s Friend through the Olivia Knighton Foundation‘s Christmas Toy Drive. 

Children’s Friend is grateful to be a part of honoring Olivia’s short but beautiful life, spreading her light, love, passion, and kindness by distributing these items to families in need this season. 

Family Engagement

One of the core elements of a Head Start education is family engagement. We are committed to supporting not just the children we teach, but their parents and families, too.

Family culture and communication play a key role in healthy child development. Family engagement activities teach practical strategies to implement right away to develop and maintain strong parent relationships.

These activities also help build a child’s ability to follow a series of directions, their fine motor control, and their ability to concentrate on the details of a project or task. 

Children’s Friend has hosted the Spirit of Giving Holiday Drive for over 30 years. The agency is actively involved with every child or family who benefits from the holiday drive, which means that the children and their families will continue receiving wrap-around support from the agency, even after the holidays.  

Your gift today will help Children’s Friend continue its critical work year-round!

The post Winter 2023 Newsletter appeared first on Children's Friend.

Project Connect keeps children safe and families together. The program serves families statewide who are identified by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). It is designed to support children ages 0-17, their families, and pregnant and parenting youth. We recently sat down with Geneva Washington, Project Connect Home Visitor, and asked about this special program. This October marks nine years since Geneva joined the Project Connect team at Children’s Friend.

Q: What are the program goals?
Geneva: The children are our focus. Ultimately, we are working to find the most appropriate living situation for the children.

Q: How do you set the individual goals for the people you’re working with?
Geneva: A lot of it depends on why they were referred. If the goal for that parent is reunification, we are trying to get their mental health stabilized, we are trying to get them to achieve sobriety.

Q: What are some of the supports and services Project Connect offers?
Geneva: We have a parent educator that we assign to the case to help clients. The parent educator supports visitations with parents and children. Some of the visitations are supervised, which means someone must constantly be in the room. Others are lightly supervised, which means someone must be close during the visit. The visitation program provides an independent eye to see what’s going on and how the parent interacts with their children.

Q: How do you monitor progress during treatment?
Geneva: Every client has a case plan with the department (DCYF). We help them to achieve each of the goals outlined in the plan. Each goal achieved marks their progression towards reunification.

Q: How often do you meet with clients?
Geneva: Twice a week. 

Q: How do you deal with a crisis or emergency?
Geneva: It depends on how and when that crisis happens. Depending on the nature of the crisis, I help the client work through it and make the appropriate decisions. If it’s calling the police, contacting the landlord, or contacting DCYF. If it’s something beyond that, I work with my supervisor to decide the next steps. In an elevated crisis, this might include getting the family out of the home to someplace safer. We also have an on-call staff person here at Children’s Friend. All our clients have that emergency number, so they have someone to call after hours.  

Q: Are you able to treat clients with dual diagnoses?
Geneva: Many of our clients have mental health issues along with substance abuse issues. So, we help them find mental health support. If it’s mental health support with medication, we monitor their medications and make sure they’re taking them appropriately and as prescribed. We’re in contact with their mental health provider to give updates on what we see in the home and how the clients are presenting. Often, clients end up in substance abuse situations because they are attempting to self-medicate mental health issues, rather than get involved with psychiatric services, so treating the root cause of substance use disorder is important.

Q: What milestones does a client need to achieve to graduate from the program?
Geneva: They need to accomplish their case plan goals laid out by DCYF. We attend court with clients as part of Project Connect. It could be family court, child protection court, or drug court. The requirements for completion for each of them are different. Getting to that point is inspirational, but the closure looks different depending on which court the client is in. 

Q: What continuing care resources are available after a client closes?
Geneva: They can always contact us if they need support. We’re always here for them. If they’ve done Project Connect, we try to get them to get an understanding of the nature of their illness and to stay connected to recovery support, whether that’s getting a recovery coach or a sponsor, or going to meetings. We keep them focused on avoiding anything that would result in a relapse.

I had a client once relapse because she went to a bar. She had been clean and sober for over a year and said that she thought that she was cured. She actually said, “I thought I was cured.” The clients who relapse are usually clients who did everything they needed to do to get their children back, to get clean and sober, but they didn’t do something like get a sponsor or get a recovery coach or go to NA or AA. And obviously, some make choices to get back into bad relationships with people who are substance abusers. Unfortunately, Rhode Island is so small, and we have a big drug problem. With a lot of our clients, especially the low-income clients, what corner can they turn down and not run into a trigger? Where can they stand and wait for a bus and not see a liquor store across the street?

It’s an uphill battle, and there are only so many places they can go to avoid people and places that are triggering.

Q: Is there a time limit for services?
Geneva: We try to say no, and I’ve had some clients for a long time. They’ve opened, they’ve closed, they’ve reopened, but we usually say 18 months. Anyone serious about reunification or recovery can get on the right track. If they accept the support and do the things they need, from start to finish, they can be done within 18 months.

Q: What do you do in cases where a client experiences relapse?
Geneva: Start all over again. If they were not connected with a substance abuse therapy program, we help them to get enrolled in one. We help to try to determine what’s the best program for them. If outpatient is the best for them, then we will make a referral to things like Women’s Day, Project Link, or the Providence Center – whatever is available in the area. If more support is needed, we help get them into an in-house residential program.

Q: What keeps you in this position and coming back to these families?
Geneva: It’s a population that I’ve come to embrace because I understand them, I understand them because of the work I do. I understand them because it’s the family that I come from. I enjoy seeing them accomplish anything, any little accomplishment. If it’s something they’ve never accomplished before it IS an accomplishment. Getting your kids to every medical appointment when they’ve been behind for years is an accomplishment. Getting up and getting your kids to school on time is an accomplishment.

A lot of our clients relapsed during Covid. That was the worst thing that could have happened to people who were struggling to maintain a hold on anything. Their mental health issues, especially depression, were at an all-time high. During that time, even if it was for no other reason than to let them know they’re not alone, I would try to see them in person. I’ve stood out in the rain with an umbrella. I’ve stood out, burning up or sweating on a sunny day. I’ve stood there on a cold day when I couldn’t feel my toes, even though I was only out there for 15 minutes. I prefer that contact because clients understand and appreciate the fact that someone went out of their way to come check on them, to make sure they were okay. They couldn’t even have visits with their children during that shut-in period. Some parents went months without visits. It was tough. It was very difficult, and it was lonely.

I do it because I honestly believe that I have something to offer that population, and I do it because it’s a good job. It’s rewarding.

Donate Today

The post Celebrating 30 years of Project Connect appeared first on Children's Friend.

Project Connect keeps children safe and families together. The program serves families statewide who are identified by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). It is designed to support children ages 0-17, their families, and pregnant and parenting youth.

We recently sat down with Geneva Washington, Project Connect Home Visitor, and asked about this special program. This October marks nine years since Geneva joined the Project Connect team at Children’s Friend.

Q: What are the program goals?

Geneva: The children are our focus. Ultimately, we are working to find the most appropriate living situation for the children.

Q: How do you set the individual goals for the people you’re working with?

Geneva: A lot of it depends on why they were referred. If the goal for that parent is reunification, we are trying to get their mental health stabilized, we are trying to get them to achieve sobriety.

Q: What are some of the supports and services Project Connect offers?

Geneva: We have a parent educator that we assign to the case to help clients. The parent educator supports visitations with parents and children. Some of the visitations are supervised, which means someone must constantly be in the room. Others are lightly supervised, which means someone must be close during the visit. The visitation program provides an independent eye to see what’s going on and how the parent interacts with their children.

Q: How do you monitor progress during treatment?

Geneva: Every client has a case plan with the department (DCYF). We help them to achieve each of the goals outlined in the plan. Each goal achieved marks their progression towards reunification.

Q: How often do you meet with clients?

Geneva: Twice a week. 

Q: How do you deal with a crisis or emergency?

Geneva: It depends on how and when that crisis happens. Depending on the nature of the crisis, I help the client work through it and make the appropriate decisions. If it’s calling the police, contacting the landlord, or contacting DCYF. If it’s something beyond that, I work with my supervisor to decide the next steps. In an elevated crisis, this might include getting the family out of the home to someplace safer. We also have an on-call staff person here at Children’s Friend. All our clients have that emergency number, so they have someone to call after hours.  

Q: Are you able to treat clients with dual diagnoses?

Geneva: Many of our clients have mental health issues along with substance abuse issues. So, we help them find mental health support.

Q: What milestones does a client need to achieve to graduate from the program?
Geneva: They need to accomplish their case plan goals laid out by DCYF. We attend court with clients as part of Project Connect. It could be family court, child protection court, or drug court. The requirements for completion for each of them are different. Getting to that point is inspirational, but the closure looks different depending on which court the client is in. 

Q: What continuing care resources are available after a client closes?
Geneva: They can always contact us if they need support. We’re always here for them. If they’ve done Project Connect, we try to get them to get an understanding of the nature of their illness and to stay connected to recovery support, whether that’s getting a recovery coach or a sponsor, or going to meetings. We keep them focused on avoiding anything that would result in a relapse.

I had a client once relapse because she went to a bar. She had been clean and sober for over a year and said that she thought that she was cured. She actually said, “I thought I was cured.” The clients who relapse are usually clients who did everything they needed to do to get their children back, to get clean and sober, but they didn’t do something like get a sponsor or get a recovery coach or go to NA or AA. And obviously, some make choices to get back into bad relationships with people who are substance abusers. Unfortunately, Rhode Island is so small, and we have a big drug problem. With a lot of our clients, especially the low-income clients, what corner can they turn down and not run into a trigger? Where can they stand and wait for a bus and not see a liquor store across the street?

It’s an uphill battle, and there are only so many places they can go to avoid people and places that are triggering.

Q: Is there a time limit for services?
Geneva: We try to say no, and I’ve had some clients for a long time. They’ve opened, they’ve closed, they’ve reopened, but we usually say 18 months. Anyone serious about reunification or recovery can get on the right track. If they accept the support and do the things they need, from start to finish, they can be done within 18 months.

Q: What do you do in cases where a client experiences relapse?
Geneva: Start all over again. If they were not connected with a substance abuse therapy program, we help them to get enrolled in one. We help to try to determine what’s the best program for them. If outpatient is the best for them, then we will make a referral to things like Women’s Day, Project Link, or the Providence Center – whatever is available in the area. If more support is needed, we help get them into an in-house residential program.

Q: What keeps you in this position and coming back to these families?
Geneva: It’s a population that I’ve come to embrace because I understand them, I understand them because of the work I do. I understand them because it’s the family that I come from. I enjoy seeing them accomplish anything, any little accomplishment. If it’s something they’ve never accomplished before it IS an accomplishment. Getting your kids to every medical appointment when they’ve been behind for years is an accomplishment. Getting up and getting your kids to school on time is an accomplishment.

A lot of our clients relapsed during Covid. That was the worst thing that could have happened to people who were struggling to maintain a hold on anything. Their mental health issues, especially depression, were at an all-time high. During that time, even if it was for no other reason than to let them know they’re not alone, I would try to see them in person. I’ve stood out in the rain with an umbrella. I’ve stood out, burning up or sweating on a sunny day. I’ve stood there on a cold day when I couldn’t feel my toes, even though I was only out there for 15 minutes. I prefer that contact because clients understand and appreciate the fact that someone went out of their way to come check on them, to make sure they were okay. They couldn’t even have visits with their children during that shut-in period. Some parents went months without visits. It was tough. It was very difficult, and it was lonely.

I do it because I honestly believe that I have something to offer that population, and I do it because it’s a good job. It’s rewarding.

The post Autumn 2023 Newsletter appeared first on Children's Friend.