Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence is coordinating a holiday care package delivery event on December 18th; register for that here. If you have any questions leading up to the event or would like more details please contact Rich Berry, VP of Program, rberry@independencebigs.org.

Bucks County Opportunity Council. Sponsor a school-aged child for the 2021-22 school year! School supplies and clothing put a crunch on family budgets and can be out of reach for low-income families. BCOC’s unique Back-To-School sponsorship program matches generous sponsors in the community with individual students. Learn more here!

Child and Family Focus is offering a free, award-winning, evidence-based prevention program, Strengthening Families for parents/caregivers and youth ages 10-14 (SFP 10-14) for all Bucks County families! Child and Family Focus is here to provide children with tools to succeed as they transition through the tough pre-teen/teen years packed with comparison, isolation, bullies, finding their identity, and stress. The World Health Organization named Strengthening Families Program 10-14 the number one prevention program out of 6,000 programs analyzed for long-term effects on substance use and misuse. Click here to see a short video clip about the program, or contact Karen Alyssa Foy, kfoy@childandfamilyfocus.org!

Sign up for Group 1 (virtual),12/1/21-12/22/21, Here, Sign up for Group 2 (virtual), 2/5/22-3/19/22, Here, Sign up for Group 3 (in-person; Bucks County, PA, TBD), 4/13/22-5/25/22, Here

Child Guidance Resource Centers. Click here for the blog and more articles and reflections, with a sampling below.

• Boundary setting for the holidays. Read the article.
• Tips for raising emotionally intelligent boys (and all children!) Read the article
• Fast facts about suicide prevention. Read the article
• Burnout, self care, and caregivers: how can you care for yourself? Read the article
• End of Summer Questions for Teens. Read the article
• Simone Biles’ Impact on Mental Health. Read the article
• Discover your North Stars. Read the article
• Resources for talking sexuality with adolescents with autism and disabilities. Read the article
• Love is an Action. Read the article

Children First, formerly PCCY, centers their mission in their new name!

• Pennsylvania’s Historic Fair Funding Trial has started! After seven years of fighting for fair education funding, PA students have their day in court. Bring your friends, family, organizations and young advocates to Harrisburg to join Children First! Sign up for the Bucks & Montgomery County Day on December 14th, or join another coordinated County day. Learn more, and sign up here!
• Nominate a young leader for a new Children First leadership program, Justice in Education. This unique program will engage a new cohort of rising stars to solve a real-world problem: state education funding. If you are a school official, recommend a leader at https://bit.ly/EdJustice1. If you are a parent, guardian, or community member, recommend a leader at https://bit.ly/EdJustice2. Students can also nominate themselves at https://bit.ly/EdJustice3
• Review the History Project, an interactive website that dynamically breaks down each year of Children First’s impressive history. Not your ordinary website, the History Project offers audio recordings of the movers and shakers who fought for children’s rights, including news reports, research papers, and photographs!
• Read the report, No More Dreams Deferred, Building an Education System that Works for Black and Hispanic Students in the Philadelphia Suburbs. 
• Child Health Watch Helpline helps families get health insurance for free and in most languages. The Helpline is for parents: Who have lost their jobs and are worried about losing health coverage for their children and themselves; are concerned with the costs of testing and treatment of COVID-19; with any questions about CHIP or Medicaid coverage; and/or with language interpretation needs. Helpline: 215-563-5848 x 17

• Share the Helpline flyers in 10 languages: English/Arabic/Bengali/French/Indonesian/Khmer/Mandarin/Portuguese/Russian/Spanish/Vietnamese
• Share the flyer about low-cost, health centers with a track record for caring for immigrants: English/Arabic/Mandarin/Portuguese/Russian/Spanish

Children First has updated their popular Manual for School Nurses and Counselors. This comprehensive manual details the public insurance programs that cover children and their families (Medicaid and CHIP), how to apply for coverage, where to get application assistance, what health benefits are covered, and how to access them. You can also find the most up-to-date list of resources for free and low-cost health care services in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties for children who are uninsured or underinsured. It’s all the resources in one spot for anyone who needs help connecting kids to care. Thank you, Children First! Learn more.

Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 17 provides a single point-of-contact for Montgomery County families, early learning service providers, and community members looking to gain information and access services that support high-quality child care and early learning programs, including Child Care Works, Pennsylvania’s child care subsidy program. Learn more here.

Family Services of Montgomery County, Pottstown Family Center

• Parents as Teachers. Free child development program with open enrollment to families anytime prenatally through Kindergarten. Resources to help strengthen your child’s development. Virtual visits to provide support to parents, grandparents, and caregivers. Contact PAT@fsmontco.org to sign up.
• Connecting with Dads. Offering monthly Dad Cafes. Have questions, including upcoming dates? Email dads@fsmontco.org.

The Giving Tree. Visit the Giving Tree website for the Kindness Cafe Blog, Service Kit ideas and projects, and ways for children and families to help others, such as the initiative: Neighborhood Service Leaders. Engage children in service and community!

• Take-Home Service Kits. Focused on food insecurity and the homeless community, these projects will benefit the most vulnerable individuals during this spring season.
• Learn more about the #MontcoServes Campaign, with the goal to provide a service project to every elementary and middle school in Montgomery County PA over the next 2 years!
• Check out their 2020 Gratitude Report which shows how families and volunteers found ways to give and serve during the pandemic.

Maternity Care Coalition is offering a free virtual parenting education/support group starting in August 2021. Families who live in the North Penn School district and have children ages birth – 5 yrs. are eligible to register. Two Fall group options: A: 9/27-11/3, Mondays and Wednesdays 4-5PM. B: 9/28-11/4, Tuesdays and Thursdays 10-11AM. While supplies last, each participating family will receive a FREE tablet with 6 months FREE internet service. Learn more and apply! Access the referral form.

North Penn YMCA child care programs offer a safe, nurturing environment for children to learn, grow, and thrive throughout the North Penn, Souderton Area, and Perkiomen Valley school districts. In addition to child care services, the North Penn YMCA offers camps and various school readiness programs. Learn more!

OHAAT Beds for Kids has partnered with CHOP to create a series of videos with healthy sleep tips for back-to-school. Videos will be added weekly to the One house at a Time social media and website here, https://www.ohaat.org/sleepwell.

Senior Adults for Greater Education (S.A.G.E) offers a free training library of resources to support students with math, reading, writing and virtual learning. Click here to access their library.

St. Luke’s Penn Foundation. Are you raising a grandchild or family member as a result of addiction? Join the Kinship Support Group the 4th Monday of the month, 7-8pm, Zoom! Join each month to connect with others who are also raising children as a result of addiction. This group is an opportunity to experience support from others with shared challenges. There will be resources available such as information about guardianship, school planning, trauma, and more. Learn more!

United Way of Bucks County – Pre-K Counts Programs are now enrolling for the 22-23 School Year! Pre-K Counts provides FREE pre-k education to eligible 3 and 4-year-old children. United Way of Bucks County currently offers Pre-K Counts at 12 partner programs located throughout Bucks County. Please share the flyer and application with eligible families. Learn more here.