In This Issue

• Impact of Childrens Futures
  • Helping to Understand Depression in Children and Adults
  • Mothers Day and Parenting Hold Special Meaning for North Ward Mom
  • Community Outreach Events Open and Close Cover the Uninsured Week
• Links to News Articles
  • One-Third of Parents Lack Facts About Child Development
  • Moms Have Few Interactions with Their Children During TV Time
  • Diabetes Effects on Pregnancy and Babies
• Community Activities
  • KidsAbilities Carnival this Weekend
  • Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Consumer Coalition
  • Dedication of Newest South Ward Center at El Centro/Catholic Charities

Impact of Childrens Futures

Helping to Understand Depression in Children and Adults

More than three dozen Trenton social service and health care workers learned ways to better understand and identify depression in the children and adults they serve during a citywide Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies meeting yesterday. Attendees (including staff from Childrens Futures center-based and home visiting programs) heard guest speaker Lori Trani, CFs Program Coordinator at Greater Trenton Behavioral HealthCare (GTBHC), describe behavioral health identification and treatment options for men, women and children. Expanded programs are now being offered through Childrens Futures for family members, with a particular focus on children. Problems in children often serve as indicators of systemic problems in the family. For example, if a child lives in a family of doom and gloom, he or she may respond to that by exhibiting problems in school behavior, eating habits, violence or isolation, she explained. Trani urged her audience to use skills of observation to chart signals a child may be sending that indicate something is wrong. This will help determine why a child may be overreacting to situations or displaying unusual behaviors. Mothers should also be consistently educated about the appropriate ages and stages of development in order to be sensitized to flag problems early, she added. Tranis presentation took place on National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, part of Children's Mental Health Awareness Week from May 4th to 10th.

In terms of adults, Trani believes fear and anger are two great inhibitors for motivation to change. Change begins to happen when individuals identify their passions, which serves as a springboard to do great things. Anger and fear come from the head. Passion comes from the heart, she said. Trani urged her audience to help people develop their passions, particularly for those who reject medication because of the stigma attached to being treated for behavioral health issues. Finding their passion gives them hope, she concluded. To find out more about the programs at Childrens Futures offered through GTBHC, contact Lori Trani at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Pictured above at Thursdays Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies meeting is guest speaker Lori Trani, M.ED., Coordinator of the Childrens Futures program at Greater Trenton Behavioral HealthCare.

Mothers Day and Parenting Hold Special Meaning for North Ward Mom

As families throughout the nation prepare to celebrate Mothers Day this Sunday, Connie C. believes that shes receiving the best present possiblethe opportunity to spend the special day with her three-year old son Jedaiah, husband Albert and mother Elizabeth (who lives 1,000 miles away). I could not have had a better role model for parenting than my mom. She helped me become the mom I am today, Connie told the Weekly Briefing. She also credits the many programs at the CF North Ward Family Success Center at Childrens Home Society with helping enhance her understanding of parenting. Connie has also learned from and shared advice with other moms she has met through participation in Childrens Futures. In addition to the sessions at the center, we take day trips and share tips on raising our children. Its a constant learning experience because children dont come with directions, she said. Connie particularly encourages reading to children early and often. She credits her reading to Jedaiah (starting when he was still in her womb) with his love of books. Everything is special about watching my son grow. Children pick up on things more than you can imagine. When Im down, he always seems to hug me at the right time and its just heaven. Being a parent is a lot of work, it never ends no matter how old a child getsbut the rewards are great, Connie concluded. Connie and Jedaiah are profiled in the recently released CF 2007 Annual Report. If you would like to receive a copy of this publication, please email Bill Rovner with your name and address or call 609-695-1977 (ext.103). An electronic version is available on the web by going to: Children's Futures' 2007 Annual Report

Albert and Connie C. play with their son Jedaiah. (Photo credit: Don Addison)

Community Outreach Events Open and Close Cover the Uninsured Week

Cover the Uninsured Week is an annual project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to highlight the fact that too many Americans are living without health insurance. Trentons local observance of the 2008 Cover the Uninsured Week was highlighted by two community events that provided hundreds of residents with resources and information about a range of health programs and services. On Saturday April 26th, Grant Elementary School hosted dozens of agencies (including CFs East Ward Parent Child Center at St. Francis Medical Center) for a day of family health education presented by WellCare and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Last Saturdays second El Centro/Catholic Charities-sponsored event at CFs South Ward Parent/Center on South Broad Street featured dozens of agencies as well as health screenings provided by physicians from the Hispanic American Medical Association. In addition to helping families navigate health care and social service delivery systems, both events shared an underlying theme of promoting the need to reduce the number of residents without health insurance. One of the most important things health insurance provides is the ability to access preventive services that will impact the physical and emotional health of families. While we work every day to empower families and develop bridges to critical resources, we need the federal government to step in and address the growing problem in our communities that particularly impacts our most vulnerable citizens, said CF South Ward at El Centro/Catholic Charities Site Director Roberto Hernandez.

Family Support Worker Maria Morales of the CF West Ward Parent/Child Center at Mercer Street Friends outlines available services in the West Ward to a young Trenton mom during the El Centro/Catholic Charities Community Health Fair last weekend.

CF South Ward at El Centro/Catholic Charities Site Director Roberto Hernandez (with colleagues Sacha Montanez and Maria Duarte) describes the availability of expanded programs at his two South Ward locations.

Links to News Articles

One-Third of Parents Lack Facts About Child Development
A University of Rochester study described by HealthDay News says one-third of parents of babies have a surprisingly low knowledge of child development, including basic concepts about what their children should know or how they should act.

Moms Have Few Interactions with Their Infants During TV Time
Infants who are exposed to television and video in low socio-economic households tend to have limited verbal interactions with their mothers, according to a new study reported in Science Daily.

Diabetes' Effects on Pregnancy and Babies
A Los Angeles Times article reports that women who have diabetes before pregnancy may have problems with their blood-sugar control throughout the pregnancy.

Community Activities

May 2008

Saturday, May 10:

KidsAbilities Carnival: free; refreshments provided; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Childrens Specialized Hospital, 3575 Quakerbridge Road in Hamilton. For more information/registration, please call 609-631-2802.

Monday, May 12:

Trenton Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Consumer Coalition: free; refreshments provided; 5 to 6:30 p.m.; Princeton Deliverance Center, 301 Southard Street. For more information/registration, please call 609-394-7454.

Monday, May 19:

Lunch and Learn Workshop on Breast Cancer Prevention featuring Guest Speaker Leonor Tapia from Planned Parenthood: free; lunch provided; 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Childrens Home Society Family Success Center North at Childrens Futures, 1554 Princeton Avenue. Children are welcome and transportation is available upon request. To register please call Andrea Servellon at 609-393-2980.

Friday, May 16:

SAVE-THE-DATE Dedication of New Childrens Futures South Ward Parent Child Center at El Centro/Catholic Charities: Free; 2 to 4 p.m.; 327 South Broad Street. For more information, please contact Roberto Hernandez at 609-394-3617 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Thursday, May 22:

Womanspace, Celebrating its 30th Year, Presents the 2008 Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award Dinner Event Honoring Author and Filmmaker Dr. Jean Kilbourne; $150; 6 p.m.; Princeton Hyatt Regency in the Carnegie Center, in Princeton, New Jersey; Womanspace is the lead agency in Mercer County serving domestic violence and sexual assault victims and their families. Womanspace operates the NJ statewide domestic violence hotline, 1-800-572-SAFE. Other programs include 24-hour hotlines, crisis intervention, emergency shelter, counseling, court advocacy, housing and domestic abuse training for the Childrens Futures initiative. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities or to acquire tickets, please call 609-394-0136 or visit www.womanspace.org .

Special Education Workshop: free; 6 to 8 p.m.; Learn the ABCs of Special Education Services; 3535 Quakerbridge Road, IBIS Plaza Suites 400 in Hamilton. Please contact 609-586-1200 for more information.

Thursday, May 29:

ACT- Adults and Children Together Against Violence: free; 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.; five week workshop sponsored by Family Support Organization of Burlington/Mercer Counties and presented by PEI Kids. Workshop is focused on how kids are influenced by violence they see every day via media images and news items; 3535 Quakerbridge Road, IBIS Plaza Suites 400 in Hamilton. Please contact 609-586-1200 for dates, times and registration information.

Saturday, May 31:

UIH Family Partners Communi-Tea Celebration: $45 per person in advance; 2 to 4 p.m.; Grace Cathedral, 1217 Calhoun Street. For more information, please contact 609-695-1492.

June 2008

Tuesday, June 3:

The Game of Life-A Program Aimed at Enhancing Student Decision-Making Skills: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Munoz-Rivera Elementary School, 400 North Montgomery Street. Organizations providing services to Trenton youth are invited to participate. For more information, please call Brenda Tift at 609-394-7454.

Saturday, June 7:

Trenton Heritage Days: free; Statehouse Complex, West State Street, 12 to 8 p.m. Come Visit the Childrens Futures Tent!

Save the Date: Third Annual Platinum Dads Celebration: $25 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Trenton Marriott at Lafayette Yard. For more information, please call UIH Family Partners at 609-695-1492.

Sunday, June 8:

Trenton Heritage Days: free; Statehouse Complex, West State Street, 12 to 7 p.m. Come Visit the Childrens Futures Tent!

Saturday, June 14:

Annual Formal Dinner Dance Honoring Trenton Youth, Presented by the Trenton Kappa Foundation, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Trenton Alumni Chapter and Childrens Futures: 7 p.m.; Trenton Marriott at Lafayette Yard. For more information, including tickets, sponsorship and journal advertising opportunities, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ongoing Community Activities

CF Center-Based Programs for Parents and Children: Free programs at Children's Futures' centers provide expectant parents and parents of newborns and toddlers with opportunities to enhance their parenting knowledge and skills. Children's Futures partners offer these sessions to improve literacy, promote nutrition, address behavioral health issues, build children's musical awareness and encourage parent/child bonding. For more information, please call Tonya Bellamy at 609-695-1977 (ext. 109) or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Isles, Inc. is providing dust sampling in 115 homes to determine if hazardous lead levels are present. If high levels are found, Isles will counsel parents about next steps including---protecting their children, speaking to a landlord, working with a city housing inspector, and applying for loans or grants to make a home lead safe. For more information, please call 609 341-4703.

The New Jersey State Parent and Information Resource Center, a program of Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey, has valuable services available for schools and community agencies (including FREE workshops for parents to support parental involvement efforts) Workshops are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis with priority given to schools/agencies that can gather more than 30 parents per session. For more information please call 732-246-8060 ext. 110. To receive workshop application forms, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

CitySmiles Offers Information About Programs Throughout the Year for Children and Families: For more information about fun and educational programs for children and parents contact CitySmiles at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or link to www.citysmiles.org

Camp Fire USA of New Jersey: Children's Futures' Community partner in the Trenton Reach Out and Read program is again selling discounted tickets for Six Flags Great Adventure. All proceeds benefit Camp Fire programs for the prevention of violence, child abuse, abduction and substance abuse The $30 ticket is good for any one day admission to the theme park for adult or child. To order tickets: Check or money order should be made payable to Camp Fire USA ($30 per ticket and $3 per order for postage and handling) and sent to Camp Fire USA New Jersey Council, 535 East Franklin Street, Trenton, NJ 08610. For more information, please call: (609) 695-8410.