High-quality early childhood environments are critical for children’s health and well-being, and as we operate classrooms in the pandemic, the safety of our children and staff is our number one priority. After a brief pause in providing child care early on, Children’s Friend developed policies and protocols allowing us to return to safely operating…
The hatred and violence displayed during the deadly siege on our Capitol last week were both shocking, yet at the same time not that surprising. Our country continues to grapple with the threat of COVID and the deep political turmoil that led to last week’s events. I am reminded that the Children’s Friend mission to…
Amidst a global pandemic and political unrest, our work with Rhode Island’s most vulnerable children and families has been stronger and more impactful than ever. As we put 2020 behind us, let’s take a moment to reflect on all that we, with the support of our community and our partners, have accomplished. When March 2020…
As we reflect on and say farewell to this challenging year, the words that keep coming to mind for me are “Thank You.” Most recently, thank you to all of our generous donors who stepped forward in safe and socially distant ways to provide gifts for over 1,200 families in our Spirit of Giving Holiday…
At Children’s Friend, we focus on preventing and treating Adverse Childhood Experiences – or ACEs – with the kids and families we serve. ACEs are traumatic events witnessed or experienced in childhood, such as poverty, exposure to domestic violence, or family members’ incarceration. ACEs aren’t just painful in the moment; they can cause serious mental…
At Children’s Friend, we have a rich diversity of expertise, skills, thoughts, and knowledge, which gives the agency a solid foundation for supporting employees’ growth. Earlier this year, when the agency was awarded grant funding for a project that required a tight timeline, we found ourselves brainstorming ways to support the project’s success. With very…
It’s been almost a full year of the Coronavirus impacting our lives in every way imaginable- from isolation to homeschooling to working remotely or not working at all. As if this weren’t enough, while in the midst of this pandemic we also experienced a divided country with political and social unrest and uncertainty. As we…
This week marks the official start of the holiday season, and in just a month, we will be beginning a new decade. I don’t think many of us will miss 2020 with all its challenges. Children’s Friend has continued to serve our children and families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the generous support of…
The State of Rhode Island completed a needs assessment on the availability of high-quality infant-toddler childcare slots and found that many of our communities have limited or not enough infant or toddler childcare. To address this critical need, Children’s Friend has partnered with the Rhode Island Department of Human Services to increase high-quality infant-toddler childcare…
The COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to cause harm, chaos, and challenges in our community and worldwide. To continue supporting our kids and their families during these challenging times, we have had to adapt and make changes to continue to make a positive impact safely and responsibly. At Children’s Friend we are confronting COVID-19 through…
