| |
| |
 Children First Center High Resolution Logo |
Children First Center Backgrounder
Backgrounder:
The DeKalb County Parent Group for Handicapped Children, Inc. d.b.a. Children First Center is adamant in its
belief that every child, regardless of limitations deserves the opportunity to grow to learn and to achieve his
highest potential. The Children First Center mission is to help children become all they can possibly be.
Children First Center provides comprehensive services for children and families. The family-centered services
offered are designed to strengthen families by helping them acquire the skills they need to protect, support
and nurture their children.
The DeKalb County Parent Group for Handicapped Children, Inc. d.b.a. Children First Center is a not-for-profit agency, which has had a long and successful history of providing services to children with special needs and their families. Established and incorporated in 1971 by a group of parents who realized how critical the early years were to their children with disabilities, the Children First Center began by providing family focused, family-centered Early Intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. Our expertise in working with families and our desire to meet even more community needs, led us to expand our services to include working with at-risk families. In 1995, Children First Center became the lead agency in a three county collaboration that brought the Healthy Families program to the counties – DeKalb, Noble and Steuben. This Healthy Families program was one of the first in the state to be credentialed. In 1996 in an effort to serve families in crisis, Children First Center became a provider of Family Preservation Services in DeKalb, Noble, Steuben, LaGrange and Whitley Counties. HOME or Helping Others Meet Expectations was established to work with families to provide guidance and education to meet goals established by the courts.
A Board of Directors and an Executive Director govern Children First Center. There are approximately 51 individuals employed by the agency. Various staff members actively represent the agency in the 3 county area on Advisory Groups, Boards, and Councils. The Executive Director has worked in Early Intervention for over 30 years. She has been the Executive Director of the Children First Center since 1979. The Healthy Families Program staff members have very strong backgrounds in child development, typical and atypical development, early learning strategies, family dynamics, techniques for guiding children’s behavior, and home visiting. The annual budget of nearly 2 million dollars sustains the many services that support 1,500 children and their families each year. This agency is an active participant in local community projects, state level planning groups and multiple collaborative efforts.
|
Children First Center Fact Sheet
Now in its thirty-ninth year, Children First Center’s programs are based on the premise that all parents want the best for their children. Through its various programs, Children First seeks to partner with parents to help children become all they can possibly be. Home visiting and other parenting services are offered throughout Northeast Indiana. Children First programs include Early Intervention and Therapy and Family Advocacy (children 0 – 3 with special needs); Healthy Families (supporting new parents, Baby Steps which includes prenatal support for pregnant moms); H.O.M.E. (reunification, supervised visitation, family preservation), community training and parenting classes. A shared feature among all programs is the inclusion of early literacy activities and information.
Children First is also a VCAN Enrollment Site and can help uninsured families apply for Hoosier HealthWise and HIP.
-----------------------
Year Founded: 1971
Board of Directors: Jay Purkhiser, Mike Ruch, Jeff Foulks, Eugene Fuhrer, Randy Morton, Kip Baird, Wayne Culbertson, Julie Hook, Paula Mercer
Employees: 40
Office Location:
Physical address: 1752 Wesley Road, Auburn, IN 46706
Mailing address: PO Box 562, Auburn, IN 46706
T 260.925.3865 TF 800.824.2698 F 260.925.3892
E officemanager@childrenfirstcenter.org
Web site: http://www.childrenfirstcenter.org
Leadership:Pat Zakula, Executive Director; Barbara Bazur, Director of Early Intervention Services; Jill Wagner, Healthy Families Program Manager; Kristina Brockhouse, Director, Clinical Services
Programs:
Early Intervention—homebased educational, therapeutic and support services for infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. Contact Barbara Bazur. Ext. 119.
Healthy Families—a voluntary homebased visitation program offered to parents of newborns. Healthy Families provides support and developmental information to help parents become the best possible parents to their children. This program focuses on supporting and encouraging parents by building on family strengths; emphasizing the joys of parenting while finding ways to manage the stress; promoting healthy growth and development and to foster positive parent-child interaction; and, helping provide a healthy start for babies in Northeast Indiana. For more information, contact Jill Wagner, ext. 115.
H.O.M.E.—focuses on strengthening families and keeping families intact. As are all Children First Center programs, H.O.M.E. (Helping Others Meet Expectations) is a homebased program that works with families to set goals and accomplish objectives. The objectives of the H.O.M.E. program center on strengthening families and improving their individual situations. Designed to focus on keeping families intact, the family, together with the FSW and the DCS case manager develop a case plan to guide parents to achieve a goal of strengthening family functioning and interaction. Supervised visits, including those that are court-ordered to be private pay, are also a service provided by HOME. This program is very individualized. To find out more about H.O.M.E., contact Maureen Prebynski, ext. 149.
Network for Safe Families – Emerging program for families in crisis. Program designed to prevent the need for child protection services, contact Maureen Prebynski, ext. 149
Because of our extensive experience in early childhood education and early learning opportunities in a home-based setting, Children First has embedded the elements of early literacy in each of our existing programs.
Parenting Classes are offered on a wide range of topics to help good parents become better! Redirecting Children’s Behavior is a five-week course designed for anyone who works with children of any age to learn why children misbehave and how to redirect their actions. Topics covered include: Sibling Rivalry, Self-Esteem, Corrective Measures, Consequences, and Discipline.
Shaken Baby Trainingsare offered in Noble, DeKalb, Steuben and Whitley counties to any group with at least 3 participants, with special emphasis on parent groups, school groups, service and community groups. About one hour in length, this program seeks to protect infants and young children from Shaken Baby Syndrome by educating adults and youth about the risk factors and situations that can trigger it. Trainings include child development information, importance of realistic, appropriate expectation and strategies to comfort a crying baby and ideas to cope with crying.
VCAN Enrollment Site – Children First staff can assist with Hoosier Healthwise and HIP applications. To schedule an appointment, call Theresa Dorais or Melinda Bowley at 260.925.3865 or 800.824.2698.
Partnerships:
United Way of DeKalb, United Way of Noble, United Way of Steuben, DeKalb County Community Foundation, Dekko Foundation, Cameron Hospital, DeKalb Memorial Hospital, Parkview Noble, RSVP, DeKalb County Council on Aging, Northeastern Center, Garrett Keyser Butler Headstart, DeKalb Central, DeKalb Eastern and Garrett Keyser Butler School systems. Children First works with a variety of social service organizations, churches and local government agencies to ensure that families are provided the best possible community resources.
|
| Children First Center Timeline
|
Children First Center FAQ's
What is Healthy Families?
How much does it cost? There is no cost to families. Our expenses are covered by grants, donations and other sources of funding. See next question.
How is Children First funded? We have a variety of funding sources: United Way funds from Noble, Steuben and DeKalb, TANF dollars that come from the state, grants from foundations and organizations that believe the program can make a lasting impact on family dynamics and a variety of local fund raising events such as Run for the Roses
How do I get in touch with someone? Children First Center 800.824.2698 or 260.925.3865.
What will I get out of Healthy Families? Positive support, community resource information, Parent/Child interaction activities and the latest in child development information.
What if I change my mind about being enrolled in the program? All of Children First’s programs are voluntary – you can terminate at any time. In some programs you will be offered several months of creative outreach activities to help make the transition.
What is the HOME program?
HOME program staff work with parents who are involved with the DCS. The goal is to help enhance their parenting skills or to conquer other challenges in order to preserve the family unit.
What is involved in family reunification services?
Family Support Workers supervise visits with parents and their children. At the completion of a visit, the Family Support Worker will spend time with the client during a ‘parenting piece’. The Family Support Worker and client will discuss parenting tips.
What is involved in family preservation services?
A Family Support Worker will visit your home one time a week or more often as requested by The Department of Child Services. During this home visit, the Family Support Worker will support and assist you in meeting your goals. A Family Support Worker can provide instruction in parenting skills, home management skills, budgeting skills, job seeking skills, linkage to community resources, etc. depending on your goals.
How long is a home visit?
A home visit lasts approximately two hours.
What is The Network for Safe Families Program?
The Network for Safe Families Program is voluntary and short-term (up to six months).
The Family Support Worker offers homebased case management services along with client support and information and referral services.
Home visit intensity varies depending on client need.
How is Parenting Education taught?
A Family Support Worker may provide parenting videos and written parenting information to share with the client. A Family Support Worker will also provide parenting education through discussions and role modeling.
What is Early Intervention?
Children First provides services for children, ages birth to three years old, who are experiencing developmental delays. To qualify through First Steps Early Intervention System, families with infants and toddlers must be diagnosed with a development disability, are not timely in meeting cognitive and physical development or are at risk of having or experiencing mental or physical delays if early intervention service sare not introduced. First Steps services include: service coordination, developmental, physical and speech therapies and other special assistance services.
What Prenatal Program does Children First offer?
The organization offers Baby Steps, a home-visiting prenatal program designd for pregnant women, to provide support and information about prenatal development; pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum care; home and equipment safety, nutrition; emotional support and referrals to community resources. Baby Steps promotes healthy pregnancies, delivery of full-term, healthy babies and adequately prepared parents.
What is Shaken Baby Training?
This program seeks to protect infants and young children from Shaken Baby Syndrome by educating adults and youth about the risk factors and situations that can trigger it. Trainings include child development information, importance of realistic, appropriate expectation and strategies to comfort a crying baby and ideas to cope with crying.
|
|
|
|
|
