Hello Friends & Supporters of Child & Family,

Child & Family has been here for over 153 years helping Rhode Islanders in need. Like all of you, we have had to adapt to the new “normal” during this COVID-19 crisis. However, our priorities remain the same as they always have, to serve our community members in need. Child & Family provides essential services to Rhode Island children, families, and elders and therefore we remain open while finding new and creative ways to help our clients safely.

During these trying times our staff have stepped up to ensure the same high quality of care goes into each client’s needs, as it did prior to the start of this crisis. For example, since the start of the COVID-19 crisis our Foster Care Program has been able to license 10 new families and place 9 children into loving foster care homes, while also keeping siblings together. These are fantastic accomplishments under “normal” circumstances.

We are very grateful to the generosity of our community who has come out during these uncertain times to support Child & Family. We are pleased to announce that we have been awarded a BlueAngel Community Health grant from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. The award will directly benefit the families enrolled in Child & Family’s Supportive Housing Program, which provides safe housing, case management, job search assistance, and other resources to families experiencing homelessness. The goal of the program is to give parents the tools they need to keep their families together while they work toward securing permanent housing. One of nine awardees for 2020, Child & Family is grateful to Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island for its support of our most vulnerable community members – homeless families with children – at a time when it is critically important to take care of those in crisis.

We have received mask donations from community partners such as Marc Allen Fine Clothier, Matouk Factory Store, and the Mask Project. We are grateful to everyone who donated during United Way of Rhode Island’s inaugural 401Gives on April 1^st. We are also very appreciative of all the grant opportunities that keep our programs running.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 crisis, Child & Family will postpone our 6^th Annual Townsend Luncheon previously scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, 2020, at OceanCliff, to 2021. The benefit Luncheon raises funds for Child & Family Supportive Housing Program. You can still support this program by making a gift, please CLICK HERE.

Child & Family Program Updates:

• Child & Family’s Foster Care program, Residential Homes, Supportive Housing, and Independent Living program continue to serve the clients in our care.
• Our Residential and Independent Living programs have the difficult but important responsibility of providing support to youth who are in our custody 24/7 while managing their remote learning programs.
• Our Family Stabilization programs are taking in new clients and managing client needs through digital platforms offering the support and resources our families need to reach success and family stabilization.
• Elder Services continues to serve over 500 clients per week via phone, digital platforms and delivering essential items such as food and gift cards based on client needs.
• Sandpipers Early Learning Center closed on Monday, March 16, 2020 but teachers, parents and students remain in touch. Teachers are sending out weekly newsletters to parents with educational activities to engage families at home, as well as weekly classroom virtual playdates.

We thank you for your continued support of Child & Family and ask if you are in a position to make a gift, Rhode Islanders in need could use your help now more than ever. Please CLICK HERE to learn how you can make a direct impact on the lives of the families, youth and elders we serve.

Thank you for your continued support of Child & Family.
Please stay safe and healthy,

Marty Sinnott
President  & CEO, Child & Family