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…
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…
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….
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…
Meet Carina Carina is a Head Start student currently enrolled in our Summer Learning & Enrichment program. At three-and-a-half years old, Carina is small for her age. She has more difficulty with speech than many of her peers. She’s often mistaken for a much younger child. The Summer Learning & Enrichment program is especially helpful for kids…
Foster Care, Foster Love Tracy laughs these days when she recalls her very first placement as a Children’s Friend foster parent. “They called me at work and asked if I could take a newborn. All I heard was that a baby needed a home,” Tracy recalls. She agreed to the placement immediately, then panic ensued. It…
