Over the past few years Family Central has worked diligently towards reaccreditation with The Council on Accreditation. FCI learned in October that it had indeed be reaccredited, and with a nearly perfect programatic review!

See page 2 for an excerpt of the accreditation letterCOAFCI Reaccredited with Flying Colors

Family Times - A quarterly newsletter with information and news for friends of Family Central, Inc.

Dear Friends and Supporters: Since its inception in 1971, Family Central, Inc. has always remained committed to promoting high quality early care and education for Florida’s children. This commitment is especially vital as research into brain development concludes that the first five years of life establish much of a child’s intellectual, emotional, and psychological well being. By investing in our young children we are ensuring that each child gets a fair start in life.

Family Central is proud to announce that it is the recipient of its first, $1.9 million Federal grant, ‘Cherish the Child’. This will allow us to protect infants and toddlers at risk of abandonment because of the impact of substance abuse and/or HIV/AIDS.

As always, thanks to each of you for your continued support of our efforts. We could not do it without you!

Barbara -Ann Weinstein, Ed.D.President & CEO

InsideNew Sunrise Location 3

Miami-Dade News 4

FCI Federal Grant 4

Palm Beach News 5

Events & Community Highlights 6-7

February 2010

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The Council on Accreditation’s (COA) commitment to maintaining the highest level of standards and quality improvement is designed to identify providers that have set high performance standards for themselves and have made a commitment to their constituents to deliver the highest quality services. COA is proud to recognize Family Central, Inc. as one of these outstanding providers.COA reaccreditation is an objective and reliable verification that provides confidence and support to an organization’s service recipients, board members, staff and community partners. The COA reaccreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of both an organization’s administrative operations and its service delivery practices. All are “measured” against national standards of best practice. These standards emphasize services that are accessible, appropriate, culturally responsive,

evidence based, and outcomes-oriented, In addition, they confirm that the services are provided by a skilled and supported workforce and that all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.Because COA reviews and reaccredits the entire organization, not just specific programs, you can have confidence in the credibility, integrity and achievement of your entire organization.COA congratulates Family Central, Inc. for their hard work and wonderful achievement and is proud to have it as part of COA’s Community of Excellence.Founded in 1977, COA is an independent not-for-profit international accreditor of the full continuum of community-based behavioral health care and human service organizations.

FAMILY CENTRAL HAS BEEN REACCREDITED BY THE COUNCIL ON ACCREDITATION

Pre-K C-QuELL Kids Get a Chance to Go to the Theater A primary mission of the C-QuELL programs is to build partnerships with local elementary schools.  In order to meet this goal, The Jim Moran Foundation is funding an exciting event for the child care centers.  Each child care center will send their Pre-K children to attend a performance by Fantasy Theater at an elementary school in their area.

Fantasy Theater is a touring children’s theater company dedicated to creating original quality children’s theater productions. After the play, the Pre-K children will be given a workshop geared toward enhancing literacy, building social skills and stimulating creativity. 

The Jim Moran Foundation has funded the cost of the theater production, and also the transportation costs for those child care centers that need it.

FCI Receives Laptops8 brand new laptop computers were

donated by the Fort Lauderdale Community Center.

The computers were distributed to several child care centers in low income areas to be used by the children in their care to promote literacy efforts.

Our heartfelt thanks goes to the Community Center for their generosity; their gift will surely help give children a competitive start in life

an excerpt from our accreditation letter

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FCI Resource Libraries

Family Central’s resource libraries, in the Broward and Palm Beach County locations, are chock full of wonderful community resources for parents, children and educators. Best of all, joining the library is FREE!

FCI GETS SPACE IN SUNRISEThe Sunrise City Commission unanimously approved an agreement for the city to provide space for Family Central at Sunrise's Roarke Hall, 1720 NW 60th Ave.

The city soon will modify the interior of Roarke Hall to meet Family Central's needs. Three offices and a meeting space will be created.

Deputy Mayor Donald Rosen said in a press release that when the community center first opened, it housed the city's first social services office. With Family Central moving in, the center's purpose has "come full circle."Family Central serves more than 110,000 children in the tri-county area, including hundreds of Sunrise children and their families.

The center will provide child care referrals for families searching for affordable care, parenting classes, training for child care providers and

teachers, and voluntary pre-kindergarten registration.

"To actually have an office in the community where families can come to receive services and where we can work with them is such an incredible help to these families," Weinstein said. The number of families seeking help from Family Central has "increased dramatically," she said.

Right now, approximately 11,000 children whose families are at or below 150% of the poverty level are

in child care but the agency has at least another 12,000 on the waiting list in Broward County.

"We don't have the money to help them," Weinstein said,

"honestly, it's worse than I've ever seen it."

With the use of Roarke Hall, Dr. Weinstein is optimistic that many more families will be helped.

Family Central’s Board of DirectorsPresident/CEO Board Chair SecretaryBarbara-Ann Weinstein, Ed.D. Steve Holt Richard SchagrinChief Operations Officer Vice Chair MembersCarol Fauci, MA Grant Smith, Esq. Andrew Baranowski Julie KlahrChief Financial Officer Treasurer Justo Rey, Past ChairAinsworth Geddes, CPA Todd Schemm

Locations:

Broward County840 SW 81st Avenue

North Lauderdale, FL 33068954-724-4051

Palm Beach County3111 S Dixie Hwy., Suite 222West Palm Beach, FL 33405

561-653-2400

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LITTLE CRUISERS recently achieved NAEYC re-accreditation and is a participating center in the Quality Counts initiative.

Little Cruisers, the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ corporate child care center, is the only directly-managed Family Central child care center.

Located at the Port of Miami, Little Cruisers serves approximately 100 children, from infancy to 4 years of age.

Congratulations Little Cruisers!

FAMILY CENTRAL WINS $25,000 CAPACITY-BUILDING AWARD FROM NATIONAL FATHERHOOD INITIATIVEFamily Central has been awarded a $25,000 capacity-building grant from the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) through the National Responsible Fatherhood Capacity Building Initiative (NRFCBI).

Through a competitive process that generated over 600 applications, Family Central was one of 25 organizations chosen from across the country to receive a capacity-building grant. The grant will allow Family Central to increase their capacity to develop fatherhood programming and become more familiar with—and better qualified to receive— federal or private philanthropic support.

“NFI is honored to be able to support Family Central and other organizations across the country as they strive to develop more effective solutions for the fathers in their communities,” said Roland C. Warren,

president of NFI. “At a time when 1 in 3 children are growing up apart from their fathers, Family Central should be applauded for its efforts to engage fathers throughout South Florida in the lives of their children.”

The National Responsible Fatherhood Capacity Building Initiative is a program administered by the National Fatherhood Initiative through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Family Assistance. This year’s grantees are the fourth set of approximately 25 grantees per year that have been assisted by the NRFCBI since 2007. For more information about the NRFCBI, visit www.fatherhood.org

Maria Alvarez, Manager of Quality Counts in Miami, was recently elected as a member at large to the South Florida Association of Young Children (SFAYC) board, a south Florida affiliate group of NAEYC.  Her one year term began in January.

Quality Counts Overview Training (Spanish) April 29th 12pm to 2pm at Centro Mater West Child Care Center 8298 NW 103rd StreetHialeah Gardens, FL 33016

To register for the training call: Yexenia Bejarano 305-749-8647

Nurturing Parenting Program – A Success StoryA mother, separated from her husband, unemployed and desperate to find help for her three year old son, with whom she was unable to communicate, came to Family Central for help.  The family recently graduated from NPP after twenty four sessions. The mother reports that the NPP techniques she learned have given her the tools needed to provide for her son. Thanks to Family Central, the child’s interactions have improved, he is better able to communicate, and is more responsive to social cues.

The Parents as Partners program was recently renewed for a 30 month period. With the renewal came an expansion of the program.

The funder, Our Kids of Miami-Dade and Monroe, awarded FCI additional dollars to hire a fifth Family Consultant to work with referred families.

This is another demonstration of Family Central’s commitment to meeting community needs, and this increase allows for expanded services.

NEWS FROM MIAMI-DADE

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LITERACY ACTIVITIES:

SEUSS-A-THON

FCI INVITED TO SEND STAFF PERSON TO NATIONAL TRAINING

Early Childhood Conferences

Family Central is participating in two early childhood conferences. The first, sponsored by The Lorraine & Jack N. Friedman Commission for Jewish Education (CJE) is “The ABCs of Brain Power: An Early Childhood Learning Conference” to be held February 15, 2010. As co-sponsor, Family Central is presenting several workshops on that day. Over 200 participants are expected.

In recognition of Week of the Young Child, Family Central is sponsoring “Children Count; A Curriculum and Language Learner Conference”. Co-Sponsored by Palm Beach Atlantic University, Head Start of Palm Beach County and other partners, this conference will be held April 10, 2010 at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach. Dr. Barbara Weinstein, Mayor Lois Frankel, Commissioner Jeff Koons as well as others are scheduled to speak. Over 250 participants are expected to attend.

Early Head Start Expansion

In cooperation with Head Start of Palm Beach County, the Family Central Early Head Start program is expanding. With the use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding, the Early Head Start program will expand from our current 4 providers and 16 children, to 14 providers and 56 children. Family Central has prepared and offered extensive training for the providers. This special, expanded program is scheduled through September 2011.

NEWS FROM PALM BEACH

In celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2, the National Education Association is sponsoring Read Across America. Across the country, thousands of children and adults will read on that day. In recognition of this event, the Resource Library in Palm Beach will have its own Seuss-a-thon with story telling and art activities for children and adults.

READ TOGETHER PALM BEACH

Family Central is proud to again be involved in the Read Together Palm Beach County; One Book, One Community. Started in 2002, this is the fifth Read Together campaign.

The purpose of this campaign is to encourage people of Palm Beach County to read and join discussion groups and share their thoughts.

Gail Kressal, one of four participants representing the State of Florida, attended the invitation only Zero to Three National Training Institute’s “5” training. She will be working with others to implement this training state-wide.

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The Rotary Club of Coral Springs-Parkland

Proudly presents its

24th Annual Rotary Golf ClassicBenefitting

familycentral&

The Rotary Club of Coral Springs-Parkland Foundation, Inc.

Monday, March 22nd, 2010The Player’s Club (TPC) at Eagle TraceNoon Registration, 1PM Shotgun Start

5:30PM Awards Dinner, Raffle & Auction

Don’t Miss This Popular Charity Event!

Last year’s proceeds gave $15,000 to Family Central, while other funds raised helped Rotary Club’s scholarships at all Coral Springs and Parkland high schools.

Great Raffle &

Auction!

Call Today & Play954-907-1089 or visit our website for

registration, sponsorship and full tournament details.

www.familycentral.org

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2009 Broward County Mayor’s Charity Gala The 2009 Broward Mayor’s Charity Gala, hosted by Broward County Mayor Stacy Ritter, was held on October 24th, and raised over $450,000 for children and families in need. The gala, which took place at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, featured entertainment by Mark Rivera and members of Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out” band, featuring Wade Preston. Guests were treated to a boardwalk style cocktail hour, complete with carnival attractions and foods, and a sprawling array of silent auction items. The lush, Broadway themed dinner delighted the eye with decor from popular Broadway musicals. Family Central salutes Stacy Ritter for her dedication to Broward County!

Family Central’s Newest Guardian Angel

Al Hendrickson, owner of Al Hendrickson Toyota, recently donated $25,000 to Family Central.

This generous donation, made even more precious during this time of economic downturn and uncertainty, was made to help cover lost funding earmarked for the subsidized child care match requirement.

Dr. Barbara Weinstein, CEO of Family Central, said “the loss of the money meant that Family Central’s matching funds were in jeopardy, but thanks to Al and his family, that’s not the case anymore!”

Family Central Helps Children & Families in Need Over the HolidaysEach year Family Central staff and volunteers join forces to ensure those less fortunate served by Family Central have something special to help them enjoy the holidays.

Through charitable contributions, fundraising activities, and community partnerships, Family Central was able to provide a Thanksgiving meal to nearly 500 families in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties.

FCI also distributed an estimated 3,500 holiday gifts, gift cards and toys for children and families in December!

To learn more about how you can help, or about upcoming fundraising events, contact Family Central’s Development Department at 954-724-3859, or visit us online at www.familycentral.org!

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