The Rhode Island Head Start Association is pleased to announce its 7th annual Early Childhood Parent Conference. The conference will take place virtually each Wednesday in May, beginning May 5, 2021, from 9:30-12:30 and is free of charge. This series will feature a dynamic array of workshops facilitated by both early education professionals and parent leaders….
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Across the nation, reports of child abuse and neglect have decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. What we don’t know yet is if actual occurrences of abuse and neglect have decreased, increased, or remained steady. There are many concerns that the increased financial and emotional stress of the…
Back in March, we wrote about the need to get at the root causes of child poverty by increasing family incomes. Shortly after, the historic American Rescue Plan was signed into law – and in it is an expanded child tax credit. An expanded child tax credit is a regular income boost for the…
A few days into my new role at Children’s Friend, I traveled to one of our sites for IT assistance with my laptop. While waiting in the parking lot at the site, a burst of energy brought my attention to the playground. A group of masked preschoolers began to run after each other with uninhibited…
With the third round of stimulus funds made available to many Americans in need of financial assistance, I encourage you to think about how to utilize these funds best. Someone in a relatively secure financial position may want to invest it in a retirement plan or college fund, while some may want to take care…
Update on 5K Walk & Run April 1st is just nine days away, and spring is definitely in the air this week. Usually, at this time, we are in the depths of preparing for our 5K Walk & Run. Due to continuing COVID-19 safety precautions, the agency has decided to cancel the Walk again this…
In these trying times, we have come to rely on, and collaborate with, many of our community partners to provide an array of services for vulnerable children and families. Central Falls has been one of our hardest-hit communities, and many of our clients are still experiencing the devastating impacts of COVID-19. Since the beginning…
As we mark the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 in our community, it is important to reflect upon the unprecedented impacts this pandemic has thrust upon us. We at Children’s Friend mourn the loss of life and physical suffering this virus has caused. In addition, the economic and emotional tolls have been intense in our community…
At Children’s Friend, our priority is working with the most vulnerable families for transformation towards well-being and healthy development. We know that one of the deepest roots of vulnerability is lack of access to real economic opportunity – and children are more likely to live in poverty than any other group in the United States. …
The Rhode Island Department of Education is requesting applications to expand the state’s Pre-Kindergarten program. This expansion will add over 300 high-quality Pre-K seats, for four-year-olds, in the 2021-2022 school year. This year there are new and innovative service delivery models, built on existing programming that will be available to families. Options include full traditional…
