In This Issue

• Impact of Children's Futures
  • CF Seeks Vice President for Program Management and Development
  • West Ward Outreach a Hit for Parents and Children During Park Pinwheel Event
  • Toy and Book Drive Committee Focuses on Christmas...in July
• Links to Print/Web Articles
  • Health Program's New Aim: Insure 1.3M Poor Jerseyans
  • When a Child's Silence Isn't Golden
  • Pregnancy Alone is Not Linked to Increased Risk of Mental Disorders
• Upcoming Community Calendar Events
  • Isles Tour Tomorrow
  • Seminar Offers Understanding on the Explosive Child
  • Annual UIH Golf Classic
• Ongoing Community Activities
  • CF Center-Based Programs for July
  • Volunteers Sought to Help Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Victims
  • Trenton Pre-School Registration Opportunities

Impact Of Children's Futures

CF Seeks Vice President of Program Management and Development

At Children's Futures (CF), our nonprofit's mission is to improve child health and development outcomes for children from prenatal to age 3 in Trenton, NJ, to ensure every child enters preschool healthy and ready to learn.

CF has launched a search for an individual to serve as Vice President for Program Management and Development with a passion for creating and supporting community-level change. This position reports to the CF President.

Candidates should have an advanced degree (Master's or higher), 10 years of senior leadership with 5 years of management experience in: early childhood health and development; strategic planning; fiscal analysis; project management; grant writing; and contract development/monitoring. Candidates must also possess strong written, verbal and group facilitation skills with ability to represent CF in health, policy, legislative, community and philanthropic settings. Knowledge of federal, state and local public/private funding sources is essential.

The position offers a competitive salary and benefits. Interested parties should mail a cover letter with a resume/CV and references to: Att: CF Human Resources, 28 W. State St., Suite 305,Trenton, NJ 08608 or email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by 8/15/08. For more details on this position, please click here.

West Ward Outreach a Hit for Parents and Children During Park Pinwheel Event

The West Ward Parent/Child Center, with programs for parents and children held at both 1100 West State Street and 222 Hermitage Avenue, also is the home for Children's Futures' citywide home visitation program. To promote these programs, as well as the offerings at all Children's Futures locations throughout Trenton, West Ward staff members have accelerated efforts to make sure no stone, or in this case, pinwheel, remains unturned this summer. According to Brenda Tift of the Trenton Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Consumer Coalition program of the Central New Jersey Maternal and Child Health Consortium, a recent "Plant a Pinwheel Garden" event at Roberto Clemente Park by the Children's Garden, helped dozens of families and their children address the stresses of daily life through a day of fun and information. The families interacted with West Ward staff and other invited agencies to learn about services to help meet basic needs, and to prevent child abuse and neglect. They also shared fun, games, food and pinwheel plantings in the garden. Parents at the event were particularly interested in learning about free pregnancy testing, parenting groups, , behavioral health programs, individual counseling, and other resources available through the West Ward and Children's Futures' six other centers.

Parents and children combined learning about Children's Futures and other Trenton resources

A day of parent-child interactions and play including pinwheel planting at Roberto Clemente Park in Trenton.

Annual Holiday Toy and Book Drive Committee Focuses on Christmas...in July

While improving birth outcomes, child health and school readiness are hallmarks of Children's Futures' work with its partners throughout Trenton, the initiative is also known for its involvement in a host of community events geared to strengthen families. One of these, the brainchild of CF's Finance Officer Spencer L. Lester, is the annual CF Holiday Toy and Book Drive. This event has distributed thousands of toys, books and gift cards to deserving families for the past seven years to brighten the December holidays. For the 8th Annual event, which will be capped by a party at the Trenton Marriott on the evening of Friday, December 12 2008, Children's Futures and Capital City Entertainment are joining forces with the City of Trenton's Annual Holiday Toy Drive and the Young Business Leaders Council of the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce to increase the scope of the program and the number of families who will benefit from individual and corporate donations. A committee representing all of these organizations is already meeting in July to plan for this expanded program set for this December. This year, toy and book collection canisters will be placed at companies and worksites throughout Mercer County beginning in November to allow more people to be involved in this holiday giving campaign. Please email the Mercer County Regional Chamber's Finance Manager Janell Petrocelli at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if your company, agency or worksite would like to participate in this spirit of giving by serving as a collection point for holiday toys and books for Trenton's children.

Children's Futures' President Floyd K. Morris, Jr. (far left) and Children's Futures Financial Officer Spencer L. Lester (in front of Mr. Morris) are pictured with members of the Young Business Leaders Council of the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce during a meeting to discuss the 2008 Annual Holiday Toy and Book Drive.

A small portion of the toy donations collected in 2007 pictured prior to distribution to Trenton families.

Links To Print/Web Articles

Health Program's New Aim: Insure 1.3M Poor Jerseyans
The Star Ledger reports on the first phase of New Jersey's universal health care plan signed into law that mandates coverage for all children within three years and offering affordable, subsidized policies to needy parents.

When A Child's Silence Isn't Golden
Newsweek Magazine investigates the issue of children who are late talkers.

Pregnancy Alone is Not Associated with Increased Risk for Mental Disorders
This Journal of the American Medical Association release discusses the reasons accurate information about the mental health status of women during pregnancy and the post-partum period is needed.

Upcoming Community Calendar Events

July 2008

Saturday, July 12:

Congressman Rush Holt Town Meeting on Foreclosure and Housing Issues: free; 2:30 to 4 p.m.; Mercer County Community College, James Kearney Campus, 102 North Broad Street in Trenton.

Isles hosts its 21st Annual House and Garden Tour: $50 for adults and $12 for children; ; 3 to 7 p.m.; Tour gardens that are part of the most extensive community gardening program in New Jersey. Tickets are $50 for adults and $12 for children under 12. Meet at 10 Wood Street in Trenton to board the bus. Contact: Robin Miller, 609-341-4739.

Tuesday, July 15:

Explosive Child: free (includes free child care); 6-8 p.m.; IBIS Plaza Office Suites 400; 3535 Quakerbridge Road; Hamilton, NJ. Sessions on consecutive Tuesdays will teach a sensitive approach to understanding and helping an easily frustrated and explosive child. For information, please call 609-586-1200.

Tuesday, July 22:

Explosive Child: free (includes free child care); 6-8 p.m.; IBIS Plaza Office Suites 400; 3535 Quakerbridge Road; Hamilton, NJ. For information, please call 609-586-1200.

August 2008

Sunday, August 3:

The 31st Puerto Rican Day Parade: free; 12 noon; begins at Trenton Central High School; for sponsorship information please call Isabel Garcia at 347-837-6509 or 609-577-3569 or go to Trentonprparade.com

Thursday, August 7:

Annual Double Dutch Competition: free; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Martin House 794 East State Street in Trenton. For volunteer or sponsorship information, please call Bridget Lewis-Burgess at 609-815-2188 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Monday, August 11:

UIH Family Partners Annual Golf Classic: $150 per person. Lunch/Registration 11 a.m. Shotgun start 1 p.m.; Mercer Oaks West Country Club in Princeton Junction, NJ; proceeds support programs for more than 600 families. For sponsorship information or to register to golf, just dinner ($55) or for early-bird discounted rates for foursomes, please call Ed Gittens at (609) 695-3663 (ext. 215).

Thursday, August 14:

Baseball Benefit for the Mercer County Million Mom March Chapter: $10; 7:05 p.m..; Waterfront Park in Trenton featuring the Trenton Thunder against the Bowie Baysox. .For ticket information, please contact Adam Smedberg at 609-394-3300 (ext. 124) or email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For information about the Mercer County Million Mom March Chapter, please contact Carole Stiller at 609-882-3211 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

September 2008

Wednesday, September 24:

Trenton Board of Education, Office of Early Childhood 2nd Pre-K Fair: free; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trenton Board of Education, Ellis Auditorium, 108 North Clinton Avenue in Trenton. Parents will also be able to register each child for school on the day of the Pre-K Fair if proper documentation is presented. To sign up. please call Denise Holguin at 609 656 4900x5669 or email at 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 families with the support they need to be empowered to succeed in life. Children's Futures' partners offer sessions to improve literacy, enhance employment opportunities, promote health, safety and good nutrition, address behavioral health issues, and encourage parent/child bonding and educational achievement. For more information on July, 2008 programs, 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 .

Pre-School Registration for 2008-209 School Year: Beginning July 1, 2008, the Trenton Public Schools' Early Childhood Department will begin registering children every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning from 8:30am-11:00am. Children are eligible for free preschool if they turn three or four by September 30th and are Trenton residents. An appointment is needed in order for parents to complete the registration process for each eligible child. For appointments, please call 609 656-5667. Documents needed for registration: Child's Birth Certificate, Vaccination Record, 2 Current Proofs of Address (within 30days of registration date) utility bill, lease, home telephone, or cable bill will be accepted.

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

Pre-School Center Openings at Greater Trenton YMCA: The Trenton "Y" has openings for both its Pre-School Center and the P.A.K. (Pennington Avenue Kids) Camp. The Pre-School Center serves children living in the City of Trenton 3-5 years of age and is an all-day program. The Greater Trenton Area YMCA's P.A.K. Camp serves children from the ages of 5-13 years, Monday-Friday 8am to 4pm. Please call 609-599-9622 for more information

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

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.

Womanspace: Womanspace is seeking volunteers to join the Domestic Violence Victim Response Team (DVVRT) & Sexual Assault Support Services Advocate Team (SASS). Team members respond to local police stations or hospitals and meet with victims, providing them with support, information and referral. In the past ten years the teams have gone on 3,785 call-outs and served over 5,000 residents of Mercer County. DVVRT and SASS volunteers support victims of domestic violence and sexual assault when they need it most. Qualifications include the ability to communicate well with others and be a good listener, ability to maintain confidentiality, 18 years of age and resident of or employed in the Mercer County area, valid driver's license and available transportation, no criminal history or prior history as a defendant in a domestic violence or sexual assault related matter, and availability to attend classes and meetings. Volunteers will receive 80+ hours of extensive, specialized training on topics including the law, sensitivity to the needs of victims and their children, and how to provide appropriate responses at a very critical time. Trained volunteers need to be "on call" (available to respond to call-outs) for two to four shifts a month. Training begins on Tuesday, September 9, 2008. Interested persons must submit to a background investigation, including fingerprinting. Bilingual individuals (especially those fluent in Spanish, Polish, and American Sign Language) are encouraged to apply. Applications must be received by Monday, August 4, 2008. For more information, please contact Heidi Mueller at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and Alison Daks at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (609) 394-0136.