Children's Friend to Premier
“A Rich Blessing to the Community,” A Special Documentary Examining Child Welfare in Rhode Island, at its 175th Anniversary Celebration

PROVIDENCE, RI -- Children's Friend, the oldest child welfare organization in Rhode Island, will celebrate its 175 th anniversary on June 12, 2009 at the Providence Biltmore with the premiere of a special documentary examining the history of child welfare in Rhode Island and the important role Children's Friend has played in that history, it was announced by David Caprio, Executive Director of Children's Friend.

The documentary, entitled “A Rich Blessing to the Community,” will explore how child welfare has changed in Rhode Island since the founding of Children's Friend 175 years ago – through periods of segregation, immigration, wars, the Great Depression, and social movements -- and how Rhode Island and Children's Friend have responded to these events in caring for its children.

Three Local Women Donate Their Time and Talent to the Making of the Film

Three Rhode Islanders have collaborated to provide this window into how children were cared for from the earliest years of child welfare in Rhode Island to present day. Humanities scholar Sandra Enos, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology at Bryant University , researched the Children's Friend archives and completed a written history of Children's Friend. This written history formed the basis for the documentary. Nancy LaChance, a writer/producer with r.j. LaChance Advertising and Tin Can Alley, wrote the script for and is producing the documentary. Kelley McGee, a former anchorwoman and education reporter for NBC-10, is narrating the film.

Five-Part Lecture Series and Traveling Photo/Archive Exhibit Round Out Historical Events

In addition to the documentary, Children's Friend is celebrating this milestone anniversary with a five-part lecture series on the changing landscape of child welfare in Rhode Island as well as a traveling photo and archive exhibit. Both the lecture series and the traveling exhibit are supported by grants from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and Philanthropist Herman Rose's ADDD Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation. They are also sponsored in part by Gilbane Building Company. Organized by Dr. Enos of Bryant University , the lecture series will pair local scholars with practitioners and explore themes such as “Women and Reform,” “Children and Child Poverty,” and “Educating and Training Children.” The traveling photo and archive exhibit will use written and photographic materials from the Children's Friend archives to create a dramatic backdrop for reflection, conversation, and discussion at public venues throughout the state.

“For the past 175 years, Children's Friend has dedicated each and every day to improving the lives of vulnerable children in our community. We have accumulated a rich history championing

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Children's Friend to Premier “A Rich Blessing to the Community”

the development of better ways to serve at-risk children and their families – from home visits and adoption services to foster care and quality early childhood services,” said Caprio. “We have an amazing collection of archival materials and will use our 175 th anniversary year to honor our heritage, explore and celebrate our rich history, and generate an acute awareness of the positive impact Children's Friend has had on the lives of those it serves,” said Caprio.

Therapeutic Child Care Center in Central Falls

The June 12 fundraising event at the Providence Biltmore, with the theme “Celebrating 175 Years of Smiles,” will include live music, food stations, hors d'oeuvres and refreshments and silent and live auctions. Tickets are $150 per person and auction items and corporate sponsorships are welcome. Funds raised at the June 12 celebration and throughout Children's Friend's 175 th anniversary year in 2009 will help fund a newly established therapeutic child care center at its Family Support Center in Central Falls . This much-needed program means that children who would otherwise be unable to access child care due to complex and problematic needs will now receive it. Without such care, parents often cannot work a full schedule to help support their family. This program, which is eligible for third-party support, will eventually become self-sustaining.

Many other events, including a special concert and festival in July for the Central Falls community, are planned throughout Children's Friend's 175 th anniversary year. For more information, contact Bryan W. Ferguson, Director of Development and Communications, at 401-276-4323 or bferguson@cfsri.org.

A non-profit organization founded in 1834, Children's Friend is Rhode Island 's oldest child welfare organization and a leading provider of child welfare, family support, mental health, and youth development services. With Family Support Centers in Providence and Central Falls , and the CHILDSPAN facility in Pawtucket , Children's Friend served more than 17,500 of Rhode Island 's most vulnerable children and their families in 2008. The agency's programs range from Adoption, Foster Care, Birth Parent Counseling, Child Care, and Adoption Support and Preservation to Dads Making A Difference, Early Head Start, Early Intervention, Family Counseling and Project Connect. In 2009, Children's Friend celebrates its 175 th anniversary with events and programs designed to honor its heritage, highlight its work, and build upon past accomplishments.