In This Issue

• Impact of Children's Futures
  • St. Francis and the East Ward Center Host Community Health Fair
  • Celebrating Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies
  • September 2008 Calendar of Center-Based Programs and Events
• Links to Print/Web Articles
  • NJ Report Calls for More Prenatal Care
  • Alcohol in Early Pregnancy May Prompt Fetal Cell Death
  • Prematurity Should Not Delay Vaccinations
• Upcoming Community Events Calendar
  • Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Meeting
  • Open Houses to Explore MercerResource.net
  • Third Annual Latino Parenting Conference
• Ongoing Community Activities
  • CitySmiles Promotes Activities for Families
  • Pre-School Openings Still Available at Trenton YMCA
  • Mom's Quit Connection

Impact of Children's Futures

St. Francis and the East Ward Center Host Major Community Health Fair

Community collaboration will be on display tomorrow as St. Francis Medical Center and the Children's Futures East Ward Parent/Child Center play host to a major free community health fair that is open to all residents of Trenton. The event, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. will be held in Crean Hall on St. Francis Place where both the St. Francis Medical Center's School of Nursing and the CF East Ward Parent/Child Center are located.

In addition to learning about resources offered through St, Francis Medical Center and the CF East Ward Parent/Child Center, families will also be able to receive information on nutrition, exercise, poisoning prevention, and other topics from Capital Health System, the American Diabetes Association, the Association for the Advancement of Mental Health, the City of Trenton Child Health Clinic, CVS Pharmacies, the Henry J. Austin Center, Greater Trenton Behavioral Health Care, Isles, Lenscrafters, the New Jersey Commission for the Blind, New Jersey FamilyCare, the Susan J. Komen Foundation, and others. The free event includes snacks and beverages, giveaways and gift certificates.

School-required annual physical exams will also be available for school-age children needing them. Parents will be able to schedule an appointment for a Nov. 1 special immunization clinic at the same location if a child needs to receive required shots. The free physical exams at the event and immunizations on November 1 will be offered to all children regardless of insurance coverage or immigration status. The Tremendously Trenton Coalition is serving as the event organizer.

CF East Ward staff members like Case Manager Ines Lecerf (l) and Center-Based Marisol S. Weaver-Henderson, will be helping children and families during Saturday's Community Health Fair at St. Francis Medical Center.

Celebrating Healthy Mothers and Health Babies

What do consumers think? Specifically, what do mothers and pregnant women think in terms of new programs they would like or existing services they would like to see improved? For the past four years, Trenton mothers have been offering their ideas and opinions on a host of issues by participating in the Trenton Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies (HM/HB) Consumer Coalition. The Coalition, which serves as a bridge between families and residents and the health and social service community, celebrated its Fourth Anniversary last week at the Princeton Deliverance Center. Through the Coalition, HM/HB works to raise awareness about: barriers to health care, child care, transportation, affordable housing, employment; pre-term labor and the importance of early prenatal care. It also assists with organizing community events. Trenton Council-Woman-At-Large Cordelia M. Staton provided the keynote address for the dozens of mothers, mothers-to-be and children who attended the celebration. Children's Futures' Director of Family Support Interventions June Gray also served as a speaker at the event.

Some of the dozens of mothers and children participating in the HM/HB Consumer Coalition's Fourth Anniversary celebration last week at the Princeton Deliverance Church in Trenton.

CF Center-Based Programs for Children and Families for September

Free programs this month at Children's Futures' Family Success/Parent Child Centers and the Father Center offer families with the information, resources and support to be empowered to succeed in life. Children's Futures' partners in each Trenton ward 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. To find out about programs by center, please go here and click on the specific center to learn about September programs. For additional information, please contact 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 .

During the month of September throughout Trenton, programs are available for children and families at CF's Family Success/Parent Child Centers and the Father Center.

Links to Print/Web Articles

NJ Report Calls for More Prenatal Care
The Associated Press reports on New Jersey Prenatal Task Force findings that pregnant mothers in New Jersey most at risk of losing their babies aren't getting enough care.

Alcohol in Early Pregnancy May Prompt Fetal Cell Death
Researchers from the Medical College of Georgia reported by HealthDay News suggests just a few glasses of wine over a short period in early pregnancy may cause fetal problems.

Prematurity Should Not Delay Vaccinations
Children's Futures' Board Member Dr. Kendall Sprott, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, writes about children's health and development issues in his weekly column for the Star Ledger.

Upcoming Community Events Calendar

September 2008

Saturday, September 6:

Community Health Fair: free; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Francis Medical Center School of Nursing/Crean Hall on St. Francis Place. Event features physical examinations and immunizations for Trenton School students as well as screenings for everyone. For more information, please call 1-877-452-5333.

Thursday, September 11:

Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition Meeting: free; 9:30 to 11 a.m.; Thomas Edison State College, Prudence Hall, 101 West State Street.

Explosive Child: free (includes free child care); 6-8 p.m.; FSO of Burlington/Mercer Counties; 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.

Saturday, September 13:

3rd Annual Latino Parenting Conference-"Safety in the Latino Community": free; 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Children's Home Society of New Jersey, 635 South Clinton Avenue in Trenton. Organizations interested in reserving a community resource table or if you have any families who may be interested in attending, please call Maritza Raimundi Petroski at 609-695-6274 (ext. 160). Space is limited to 150 individuals and 25 community organizations. For more information, please go to www.chsofnj.org.

Friday, September 19:

NAMI Basics-Support Program for Parents or Primary Caregivers of Children or Adolescents (ages 2-18) with Challenging Behaviors: free offered from September 19th to October 24th ; 7 to 9:30 p.m. at The National Alliance on Mental Illness Mercer Office, 3371 Brunswick Pike, Suite 124, Lawrenceville (next to the Mercer Mall). Please RSVP by Monday, September 15th by calling 609-799-8994.

Monday, September 22:

No I Won't and You Can't Make Me: free; 10 a.m-2 p.m.; FSO of Burlington/Mercer Counties; IBIS Plaza Office Suites 400; 3535 Quakerbridge Road; Hamilton, NJ.; Session on preventing power struggles and effective disciplining. For information, please call 609-586-1200.

Open House to Explore MercerResourceNet.org: free; 2. to 5 p.m. Capitol County Children's Collaborative, 3535 Quakerbridge Road in Hamilton. MercerResourceNet.org is a complimentary web tool providing a wide range of information about support, resources and services for families in Mercer County. To RSVP or for more information, please call 609-584-0888 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Tuesday, September 23:

Open House to Explore MercerResource.net: free; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Capitol County Children's Collaborative, 3535 Quakerbridge Road in Hamilton. MercerResourceNet.org is a complimentary web tool providing a wide range of information about support, resources and services for families in Mercer County. To RSVP or for more information, please call 609-584-0888 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Wednesday, September 24:

Open House to Explore MercerResource.net: free; 4 to 7 p.m. Capitol County Children's Collaborative, 3535 Quakerbridge Road in Hamilton. MercerResourceNet.org is a complimentary web tool providing a wide range of information about support, resources and services for families in Mercer County. To RSVP or for more information, please call 609-584-0888 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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

Thursday, September 25:

Open House to Explore MercerResource.net: free; 2. to 5 p.m. Capitol County Children's Collaborative, 3535 Quakerbridge Road in Hamilton. MercerResourceNet.org is a complimentary web tool providing a wide range of information about support, resources and services for families in Mercer County. To RSVP or for more information, please call 609-584-0888 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Explosive Child: free (includes free child care); 6-8 p.m.; FSO of Burlington/Mercer Counties; 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.

Saturday, September 27:

HOLD THE DATE: Second Annual CHANGE Coalition Trenton Parent Summit: free; 9 to 3 p.m. Joyce Kilmer School. For sponsorship information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

December 2008

Thursday, December 11

HOLD THE DATE: Children's Futures' 8th Annual Holiday Toy & Book Drive Celebration in Association with the Mercer County Regional Chamber of Commerce Young Business Leaders Council, the City Of Trenton and Capital City Entertainment; 6 p.m. to midnight; Trenton Marriot at Lafayette Yard.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, please contact Spencer Lester ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Bill Rovner ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) at Children's Futures or call 609-695-1977. You may also contact Janell Petrocelli ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) at the Mercer Chamber or call 609.689.9960 x18.

Ongoing Community Activities

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

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.

Moms Quit Connection provides free training to clinicians to help them help families provide smoke-free homes to growing children. This is a statewide program of the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative funded by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. For more information, please contact Cathy Butler, BSW, CSW at 856-665-6000 (ext. 229) or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Pre-School Center Openings still available at Greater Trenton YMCA for September: The Pre-School Center serves children living in the City of Trenton 3-5 years of age and is an all-day program. Please call 609-599-9622 for more information

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

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.

Mercer County Office of the Youth Advocacy Programs, Inc. will partner with Macy's this year for the annual Shop For A Cause, to be held on September 20, 2008. For a $5 donation to YAP, people will be able to shop all day, at any Macy's of their choosing, and receive 20% off their purchases for most items, and 10% for many others. For more information, please contact Dan Winter, Lisa Wojtczuk, or Christina White at 609-637-0896.