The Children’s Place and Parent Education Center (TCP) directors, staff and families would like to thank our community and the many volunteers who have helped to make this past year’s activities so successful.
First, we thank the Healthy Beginnings Foundation, Merrimack County and the Rolfe and Rumford Advisory Fund of the N.H. Charitable Foundation for grants that have enabled TCP to offer education and support programs at no cost to families throughout the region. Baby Talk, designed for parents of infants, includes informal discussions on the amazing newborn, and new parent survival strategies. Parent Toddler group brings parents, grandparents and toddlers together to engage in singing games, table activities, reading stories and snacks. Our Family Support Program (FSP) includes short term childcare for parents seeking employment, keeping appointments, going to school, working remotely and respite.
Our Saturday Stay and Play Programs (also grant funded) are held monthly, and feature themes. May’s program, Community Helpers: People Who Keep Us Safe included visiting Concord firefighters, an EMT, paramedic, two city counselors, a police officer and a representative from the N.H. National Guard, all of whom volunteered their time. Parents and children were able to explore a fire engine, ambulance and police car, and ask questions about fire and car seat safety.
Further, we thank the dedicated volunteers from Granite United Way, NHTI, Concord’s Community College, South Congregational and Next Level Churches and others for helping to clean our playground, washing the toys and riding vehicles, and children’s furniture. The safety and health of our children is paramount and continuous cleanup can be challenging with very young children and families coming and going throughout the week.
Lastly, The Children’s Place celebrated its 39th birthday (June 26) with a calendar raffle fundraiser offering prizes for every day of the month. We are especially thankful to the retail, restaurant, and recreational sponsors who provided such wonderful gifts as well as to all those who bought tickets. More than 30 winners’ names are posted at TCP. We urge everyone who kept a calendar to visit and thank the sponsors for their generosity and support for TCP’s mission.
The Children’s Place and Parent Education Center is the only fully-operating, non-profit family education and support center serving the region’s parents with our youngest children. We are deeply grateful to the hundreds of families, volunteers and community leaders from Greater Concord and Merrimack County whose participation and financial support have sustained us for nearly forty years. To all, thanks a million!!!
Mary Stuart Gile,
president,
The Children’s Plan and
Parent Education Center