July 6, 2010

For most of us, summer is a happy time, and probably always has been.  For the over 36,000 Rhode Island children that live in households with incomes below the federal poverty threshold, summer can be a difficult time.  Almost 14,000 of those Rhode Island children are under the age of six.

 

From September to June, nearly 1,200 low income children in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Cumberland and Lincoln are enrolled in Children's Friend Head Start.  During the school year, these children experience a high quality curriculum taught by qualified teachers, the care and assistance of family support workers, two healthy meals per day from a menu prepared by nutritionists, and most importantly, a safe place to spend their day.  Our children also get to go on field trips to museums, parks and zoos. They get special visits from firefighters, police officers, meteorologists, politicians, and even Snoopy!!

 

For most of these children, funding only allows us to offer Head Start services during the academic year, and when Head Start ends, the fun, education and safety of a Children's Friend classroom are often replaced by the stress and danger of an urban area.  Further, studies show that these children likely digress in their development, counteracting the tremendous progress our teachers make everyday.

 

We would love to have these children in our sites all year round, but our funding just doesn't allow it.  You can help!   Please make a donation to support our children and their families that might make their summer a little easier.

 

Thank you for helping us make a difference ... one child at a time.