In This Issue

• Impact of Children's Futures
  • Newest South Ward Center Brings Praise from Parents and Smiles from Children
  • Karen Andrade-Mims Selected to Lead UIH Family Partners
  • Community Survey Still Underway on Health and Well-Being Improvements
• Links to News Articles
  • Mixed Results for Late-Talking Toddlers
  • Study: Stress in Pregnancy May Lead to Allergies, Asthma in Children
  • Having a Mother's Touch Helps Cut Newborns' Pain
• Community Activities
  • ACT- Adults and Children Together Against Violence Workshop
  • UIH Family Partners "Communi-Tea Celebration"
  • Trenton Heritage Days Set for June 7 and 8

Impact of Children's Futures

Newest South Ward Center Brings Praise from Parents and Smiles from Children

Children's Futures' newest Parent/Child Center's dedication last week at El Centro/Catholic Charities spotlighted parents who took turns praising the facility, its staff and the variety of programs offered. Center Director Roberto Hernandez hosted more than one hundred families and dignitaries who toured the Center at 327 South Broad Street and learned about the innovative sessions for children and their parents. "With two El Centro/Catholic Charities Children's Futures' locations in the South Ward, we have been able to give area residents a greater choice of programs," said Hernandez. The other El Centro-led Center is at 342 Home Avenue. Parent Maura Barrios described how the center and its staff have helped her and her children prepare for school through parenting classes, music classes and play and learning groups.

The event was the fourth dedication of a new or expanded Children's Futures' location in 2008.

During the recent dedication ceremony, parent Maura Barrios enthusiastically described all that the South Ward Parent/Child Center has meant to her family. Listening to Ms. Barrios were (from left) Catholic Charities Executive Director Fran Dolan, Catholic Charities Service Area Director for Children and Family Service Ron Gering, Children's Futures President Floyd K. Morris, Jr., Trenton City Councilman Manny Segura and South Ward at El Centro Center Director Roberto Hernandez.

Elena Gomez of the South Ward Center and WomanSpace's Director of Education and Training Courtney Esposito look on as WomanSpace Project Safe Assistant Erika Hillman prepares balloon-shaped animals for children.

Two children at the South Ward celebration prepare for an arts and crafts demonstration.

Karen Andrade-Mims Selected to Lead UIH Family Partners

Karen Andrade-Mims has been appointed Executive Director of UIH Family Partners. UIH Family Partners is the lead agency for Children's Futures' Fatherhood program. Prior to becoming Executive Director, Ms. Andrade-Mims had been an active member of the agency's Board, and served as Vice President and Chair of the Board Development Committee. UIH Family Partners Board President Jeffrey Bartolino characterized Ms. Andrade-Mims as "uniquely qualified for this position considering her training, program management experience and service on the Board. She possesses a strong understanding of UIH Family Partners operations, staff and the challenging issues facing the agency in the months and years ahead."

Ms. Andrade-Mims brings to her new leadership role extensive experience in social service program management. For the past eight years she has held various program management positions with Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey. Since 2005, she had served as that organization's Deputy Director of Programs and managed all prevention programs. Prior to her tenure at Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey, Karen served as Director of Community Services at Planned Parenthood in Trenton and Center Director of Kindercare Learning Center in Lawrenceville. She also currently trains teachers on core curriculum standards for sexuality education in the Rutgers University ANSWER program.

Ms. Andrade-Mims holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters of Public Administration from Rutgers University. Her affiliations include Vice Chair of the Princeton Human Services Commission; Training Advisor of the Junior League of Greater Princeton; Program Coordinator of the Raritan Valley Chapter of the Links, Inc.; and member of Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor Society. The mission of UIH Family Partners is to build "effective families through innovative and culturally sensitive programs for parents and children."

Ms. Karen Andrade-Mims is the new Executive Director of UIH Family Partners (Photo Credit Judith Arnold-JFA Group)

Karen succeeds Zuline Gray Wilkinson who recently left the agency after 11 years of service for a new position in Boston (pictured at Trenton City Hall Farewell Reception with Trenton Youth Services Commission Coordinator Bridget Lewis-Burgess and Trenton Director of Recreation, Natural Resources and Culture Sam Frisby).

Survey Still Underway on Health and Well-Being Improvements

Public/Private Ventures (P/PV), a national research organization based in Philadelphia, is still conducting an evaluation of the Children's Futures initiative. As part of the evaluation, in March, interviewers from the Center for Survey Research at the University of Virginia began calling Trenton residents who were randomly selected to complete a 25-minute telephone interview, the 2008 Children's Futures Community Survey. This is the second time that Trenton residents will have participated in this interview - 654 residents completed a similar interview in 2002. Trenton residents eligible to complete the interview include parents of children aged 5 years or younger. Those who complete the interview will receive a $10 gift card from Wal-Mart as compensation for their time. The interviews ask residents questions about their background, neighborhood, child care, health, health insurance coverage, family planning, and social services utilization. Interviewers will continue to call residents primarily during the evening hours and on weekends. The evaluation will help Children's Futures identify the ways in which Trenton agencies have met the initiative's goals of improving the health and well-being of Trenton's young children.

Links to News Articles

Mixed Results For Late-talking Toddlers
One in four late talking toddlers continues to have language problems by age 7 according to a report in Science Daily.

Study: Stress in Pregnancy May Lead to Allergies, Asthma in Children
New research reported by Fox News says women who suffer stress during their pregnancies are more likely to give birth to children who will suffer from asthma and allergies.

Having a Baby: Mother's Touch Helps Cut Newborns' Pain
Even very premature babies benefit from skin-to-skin contact with their mothers during painful medical procedures, according to a Canadian Study reported in the New York Times.

Rash is Recognizable Sign of Coxsackie Virus
Children's Futures' Board Member Dr. Kendall Sprott writes about children's health and development issues in his weekly column for the Star Ledger.

Community Activities

May 2008

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 Children's Futures' Tent!

Save the Date: Third Annual Platinum Dads Celebration: $25 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Trenton Marriott at Lafayette Yard. Special Keynote Speaker: Former Philadelphia Eagle star receiver and current radio analyst Mike Quick. For more information, please call UIH Family Partners at 609-695-1492 or 609-695-3663.

Sunday, June 8:

Trenton Heritage Days: free; Statehouse Complex, West State Street, 12 to 7 p.m. Come Visit the Children's 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 Children's 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 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.