tag:www.cpch.org,2008-12-06:/blog//1 2010-11-09T16:36:45Z Movable Type 4.21-en tag:www.cpch.org,2010:/blog//1.40 2010-11-09T16:32:20Z 2010-11-09T16:36:45Z

Caroline Lara
    "CPCH decided to apply for the contract to meet the growing needs of families in our community," says Amy Watson, CPCH's director of clinical services.
Watson explains that many families are working collaboratively with Child Protective Services (CPS; an arm of TDFPS) to make their situations better and to provide the best environments they can for their children. Families are offered services through contracts like this in an effort to learn effective parenting and skills to deal with life stressors so they can keep their children with them. She adds that caseworkers from TDFPS will make the referrals to CPCH.

    "CPCH believes serving individuals under this treatment contract allows us to fulfill our mission of bringing healing and hope to children and families," Watson says. "We are collaborating with CPS by providing counseling and education services to children, parents, and caregivers so they can achieve their personal goals and increase safe homes for children in our community."

    Some specific populations eligible for services under the contract are:

•    Children with behavioral problems or emotional problems because of abuse or neglect;
•    Children who need help adjusting to separation from parents or who need help adjusting to returning to parents after any placement outside the home or in foster care;
•    Parents or caregivers responsible for the care of abused and neglected children who need these services as a means to help prevent those parents or caregivers from abuse or neglect of children.  

For more information about the services offered under CPCH's new contract, contact Watson at (940) 382-5112 x 245 or awatson@cpch.org. ]]> tag:www.cpch.org,2010:/blog//1.38 2010-05-24T22:03:58Z 2010-05-24T22:09:14Z

Over the last several years, Cumberland Presbyterian Children's Home has seen a shift in the type of youths placed in our care. Child Protective Services is seeking placements at CPCH for older children, primarily pre-teens and teenagers. These young people...

Caroline Lara
While some foster care youths may be adopted or reunited with their families, according to information from the United States General Accounting Office, each year approximately 20,000 youths exit or "age out" of the foster care system with the expectation that they will be self-sufficient. Many of these youths face serious problems, including lack of employment stability, incarceration, or pregnancy at an early age.

Since identifying this new trend in our placements, CPCH has begun to tailor our programming to the unique needs of pre-teens and teenagers. As study data and CPCH's own anecdotal evidence show, one critical area of need for pre-teens and teenagers is independent living skills. These include personal and interpersonal skills, how to secure housing and transportation, acquiring job skills, learning money management, dealing with health issues, and planning for the future, among other topics.

CPCH's goal is to prepare the youths we serve to be self-sufficient, productive members of society when they leave our care. To do this, CPCH must provide them with opportunities to learn and practice independent living skills. Thanks to grant funding and the hard work of CPCH's staff and volunteers, CPCH can enhance and expand our independent living skills programming to include:

•  Classes on computer skills, cooking, sexual health and parenting (infant and young child care), internet safety (identity theft and predators)
• Professional speakers on topics such as personal finance, political involvement or community involvement
• Field trips to practice using public transportation, finding rental housing, applying for employment, visiting colleges
• A library of educational DVDs on independent living skills topics
• Computers and printers for use in independent living skills programming
• Materials and supplies for hands-on practice of independent living skills
  

]]> tag:www.cpch.org,2009:/blog//1.20 2009-04-03T14:43:42Z 2009-04-03T14:44:17Z

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a month devoted to transforming communities into places that care about - and actively support - children and families. In a recent poll, 89 percent of Americans reported that child abuse

Caroline Lara http://cpch.org
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a month devoted to transforming communities into places that care about - and actively support - children and families. In a recent poll, 89 percent of Americans reported that child abuse was a "very important" moral issue to them. But, it's not enough to just care about the problem. It's not enough to address the consequences of the problem. We all have to work together to prevent the problem.

The majority of child abuse cases stem from situations and conditions that are preventable. Ensuring that parents have resources such as parenting education or mental health services can go a long way toward preventing the nightmare of child abuse.

Cumberland Presbyterian Children's Home (CPCH) is dedicated to providing families with the resources they need to raise their children in a supportive, loving environment. In 2008:
•    almost 500 people attended parenting classes or received counseling from CPCH's Family Outfitters Program;
•    15 single parents and their 28 children were sustained and strengthened through CPCH's Single Parent Family Program;
•    31 children and teens in CPCH's Residential Care Program received loving care and counseling, equipping them with some of the tools needed to break the cycle of abuse in their own lives.

This April, during Child Abuse Prevention Month, we invite you to contribute online to CPCH in support of our efforts to help prevent child abuse through solutions such as education, counseling and residential programs.

]]> tag:www.cpch.org,2009:/blog//1.12 2009-02-20T15:24:18Z 2009-04-03T19:13:05Z

Caroline Lara http://cpch.org     Something that is meaningful to all of us at CPCH is the way our supporters give generously of their unique gifts to help those we serve. As we all know, givers and gifts come in many forms, and sometimes the right giver with the right gift arrives unexpectedly.
    Ken Stout at Nuconsteel in Denton is a great example of this. Ken approached CPCH in 2007 about Nuconsteel hosting a charity golf tournament for our benefit. This was not something we were expecting, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience. Ken brought his tournament planning expertise, some great volunteers, and a gift for securing sponsorships to the table, and the first tournament in 2008 was a success!
Now, we're planning the 2009 event for March 28 at the Golf Club at Fossil Creek in Ft. Worth. Even in this tough economic climate, businesses and individuals are generously supporting the tournament. We have high hopes that we'll raise even more to help CPCH's kids and families this year. If you'd like to join us, feel free to call me at (940) 382-5112 x 270.

Blessings,
Caroline Booth Lara
Director of Advancement

]]> tag:www.cpch.org,2009:/blog//1.4 2009-01-09T23:00:43Z 2009-01-12T20:42:23Z

CPCH is blessed to have generous donors supporting our programs for children, teens and families. Our ability to help vulnerable people depends on the generosity of those who give to us. Because of that, we know it is critically important...

Caroline Lara
We believe all donors have these rights:

1. To be informed of CPCH's mission, the way CPCH intends to use donated resources, and of CPCH's capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
2. To be informed of the identity of those serving on CPCH's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
3. To have access to CPCH's most recent financial statements.
4. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
5. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
6. To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
7. To expect that all relationships with CPCH staff will be professional in nature.
8. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
9. To have their names removed from mailing lists.
10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation to CPCH and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

To everyone who has donated in support of our children and families - thank you. To those who are considering a gift - I hope this information helps you decide to become a CPCH donor.

Blessings,
Caroline Booth Lara
Director of Advancement

]]> tag:www.cpch.org,2008:/blog//1.2 2008-12-16T09:16:45Z 2008-12-16T09:18:08Z

I am sorry to have to tell you that one of CPCH's donkeys, Buster Brown, passed away on December 8, 2008. Buster was a good donkey and brought joy to our residents and members of the community. We will miss...

Caroline Lara
With Buster gone, we had to make some decisions about his companion donkey, Ozella. We did not want her to be lonely, and we were concerned about her safety alone in the pasture next to Interstate 35. So, we decided to find a new home for Ozella.

Thankfully, we had recently became acquainted with Bob Williams and Marty Polasko of American Pet Spa and Resort in Argyle (www.americanpetspa.com). We had had the opportunity to visit their beautiful facility and meet their "animal family," which includes miniature horses, pot bellied pigs, sheep, llamas, alpacas, rabbits, chickens, geese and tortoises. When thinking about a new home for Ozella, we could not imagine a more perfect place. We placed a call to Bob and Marty, and they gladly agreed to take her in!

Marty and the American Pet Spa staff arrived to transport Ozella to her new home on Dec. 10. We got an e-mail from Bob later that day, saying:
"Although Ozella was a little nervous when we put her in the pasture, she immediately went up and gave Wooly (a sheep) a sniff and kiss. She then wandered over and got acquainted with the llamas. So far so good. We will keep a close eye on her but she is settling in very nicely."

Many of you might be wondering if we plan to have donkeys in the future on CPCH's campus -- Because of Denton's growth and the future expansion of Interstate 35 into what was our donkey pasture, CPCH has decided not to bring any more donkeys onto campus.

We will always fondly remember our donkey friends, Buster Brown and Ozella.

Blessings,
Caroline Booth Lara
Director of Advancement

]]> tag:www.cpch.org,2008:/blog//1.3 2008-12-15T12:13:14Z 2008-12-16T12:14:49Z

In today's wired world, communicating online is a crucial aspect of many people's lives. While Cumberland Presbyterian Children's Home has had a Web site for many years, we were not making use of the great interactive features now available to...

Caroline Lara
Since summer 2008, we have been working with Produce Marketing to develop this brand new site for CPCH, one that includes features that are in-demand by our staff, friends, donors and volunteers. Some of my favorites are:

•    Online sign-up for monthly campus tours and classes
•    A virtual tour of CPCH's campus
•    A space for visitors to submit their testimonials about CPCH

Of course, one of the greatest new features is the ability to make fast, safe and secure online donations. Using this new feature is a wonderful way to support CPCH's children, teens and families. When you make an online donation:

•    Your tax-deductible donation reaches us immediately and we are able to put it to work right away!
•    You'll receive your receipt via e-mail, saving you the wait required for a receipt sent by post.
•    Your gift is paperless, which helps conserve the earth's resources.

We designed and built this site with you in mind, so I invite you to browse around and let us know what you think by sending us a message through the "Contact Us" page.

You have our warmest thanks for your continued support of our mission to bring healing and hope to vulnerable children and families!

Blessings,
Caroline Booth Lara
Director of Advancement
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