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Public-private group helps Maryland families stay together
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Linda Ramsey, deputy director, left, and Margaret Williams, executive director, of Friends of the Family, a nonprofit organization that helps young parents.
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s pop chart hit “Teach Your Children” could easily be the theme song for Friends of the Family Inc.
“Family Support Centers help young families that are struggling to raise little children, such as families headed by an adolescent,” said Margaret Williams, executive director of the Baltimore-based Friends of the Family, a public-private nonprofit organization that contracts with and provides funding and oversight to more than two dozen family outreach centers in the state.
Founded in 1986 with funds from the Aaron Straus and Lillie Straus Foundation Inc., the Goldseker Foundation and Maryland’s Department of Human Resources, Friends of the Family was an answer to the “growing number of children coming into the foster care system who were [increasingly] younger and staying longer,” Williams said.
“The centers strengthen [clients’] parenting skills and [helps raise] their educational attainment level and earning power,” Williams said. “Our job is to provide funding and quality assurance services to the network. We train the staff to build it. We provide ongoing technical assistance, and we evaluate and monitor the programs.”
The $10 million-a-year, 15-person intermediary organization now contracts with, guides and supervises 24 different statewide public and private groups that provide free, full-service, parent-empowerment and child care services for challenged parents of children 3 years of age and under at the centers. It operates on federal and state subsidies and on corporate and individual donations.
“I would describe Friends of the Family as relentless, demanding and uncompromising in their advocacy for fragile families,” said Phil Holmes, vice president of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake and director of the Waverly Family Service Center in Baltimore.
The nonprofit also hosts a Parent Leadership Institute for clients — many of whom are adolescent single parents impacted by drugs, poor education and sexual abuse — at an offsite conference center four times a year. The institute teaches social services system navigation and personal presentation skills.
“What we’re after is that clients speak up for themselves and their children,” Williams said. “It gives them confidence to be their child’s advocate.”
As proof of its effectiveness, Friends of the Family boasts a 92 percent immunization rate — a marker datum for child health that statewide is 82 percent — for client children, and a 100 percent rate for its children being either at developmental milestones or in remediation. Only 14 percent of its adolescent clients give birth again within a year, as compared with 34 percent nationally, Williams said.
More information
» Friends of the Family Inc.
1001 Eastern Ave., Second Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-659-7701
www.friendsofthefamily.org
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Examiner Reader said:
We need to see an updated story on the center they celebrate 40 years this year.
5 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Funny that the point has been lost in this article.Better take a good look at what you get into.
18 agree | 16 disagree
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James Hall said:
I'm honored and blessed to be working in the Youth Service arena, however I'm having difficulties locating events and activities for our youngmen who range from 12 through 18. The Summer for AT-RISK youth can offten be extremely dissapointing. If your agency has any resources that we can access please forward them to: James Hall; diamona4sure@yahoo.com. Our kids would really be greatful and appreciative!!! Mr. James Hall, Counselor Our Fortress Homes, Inc. 410-485-4958
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Examiner Reader said:
I guess the answer to my previous question is, "No, Mr. Corrigan is incapable of writing about anything other than Nonprofits." I guess the Examiner realizes that if he writes about anything else, Mr. Corrigan only spouts he own political views instead of reporting.
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Examiner Reader said:
While I realize that Mr. Corrigan has limited writing skills and he enjoys wearing out his Thesaurus in an attempt to impress people with his vocabulary, can't he write about anything other than Nonprofits?
26 agree | 16 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
At least this time Mr. Corrigan wrote a variation on his theme of the past 10 weeks, instead of just the same story with different words.
25 agree | 17 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
It seems as though the Examiner just lets Mr. Corrigan recycle the same story every week or so, and has let him do it for about the last 9 weeks. As much as I support recycling, I think it might be time for a new topic.
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Examiner Reader said:
It's only a matter of time. Plan thoroughly, consider all options, and where roadblocks are placed before you, find alternatives. Remember that during the Katrina evac, all the buses where in the up-scale part of town that the walkers from poor sections couldn't get to in time. Please be careful. People need you, but there are those who don't want you to succeed.
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Examiner Reader said:
With all the shady, non-taxed, I mean, so-called, non-profits in Maryland, working for a non-profit is working in the private sector.
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Huh? said:
"[T]his $1.6 million, 22-employee nonprofit has a track record to support its claim." Okay, fair enough. So, what's the track record? Also, if the org has helped about 1,000 women since 1994, that's fewer than 90 women per year and there are 22 employees! It had better be successful at that ratio. Another point: Not-for-profit is merely a tax status. It does not mean that administrators cannot earn a handsome salary. I am not suggesting that is the case here but there's a reason these places don't share that info without being asked.
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Examiner Reader said:
As a woman in recovery who needed balance in my life recovery houses such as M artha"s Place deserve to recieve all the available resources to help restore self-esteem, and save lives. How can we mimnimize lives by withholding funds. I am an alumni who's life has been restored because of Martha's Place! I thank God for Elder & Mrs.Harris for leaping out into an area many others have not and willnot accept the challenage to save lives!
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Examiner Reader said:
Hi! Thank you so much for printing this article. It is a wonderful summary of what this incredible organization does. My husband works for Jeff Singer. Jeff is an incredibly humble, gracious and loving person. He truly cares about each person who comes through his Center. He deeply appreciates the job that everyone does on a daily basis. One can only truly appreciate the magnificent compassion and respect this organization offers to our homeless friends by visiting the center and helping face-to-face, hand-to-hand and heart-to-heart as this family reaches out to those in need. Thanks again for helping to make our neighbors aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters and the assistance provided by these loving angels of mercy!
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Matthew C. Andrea said:
Please post the contact information for PlayPumps International. This concept is brilliant, fun and uplifting. Definitely something that I would like to support.
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Examiner Reader said:
When is Montgomery County going to realize that Casa of MD is taking them/us to the cleaners?
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