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• It’s a Family Affair! : Mom and Dad were right: it’s important to be on time for dinner.

• Setting a Leadership Example:  Time Out for Teens and Tots Mentoring Program

• They Say It’s Our Birthday:  CAS of PA125th Anniversary

A growing body of research is showing that a traditional sitdown family dinner is a powerful way for parents to teach core values. Children who eat dinner regularly with their parents are at lower risk for drug abuse, promiscuity, depression and underachievement. These days, it’s tough for any family to find the time to eat together. For low-income families, who must juggle many demands and pressures, it’s especially difficult – and our most vulnerable children are cheated out of time with their parents.

CAS of PA created its Family Night program to give at risk families the chance to experience the benefits of a family meal. Family Night takes place at the Church of the Advocate and CAS of PA’s Madeira Family Center over two sixteen week sessions per year in which families meet on Tuesday nights for two hours.

During the first hour, parents and caregivers, children and CAS of PA staff and volunteers sit down together for a communal meal. In the hour following the meal, the families divide into a parent education group and four age appropriate children’s playgroups.

Parents and caregivers learn effective child rearing techniques; the kids learn skills like conflict resolution and anger management along with arts, crafts and other enriched play.

For more information about Family Night, please contact Rosita Martinez at rmartinez@caspa.org.

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Setting a Leadership Example

In its 2005-6 program year, Time Out for Teens and Tots™ kicked off its peer mentoring program as three mentors assisted TTT staff with recruiting and co-facilitating the TTT group sessions. The mentors will also serve on a programming advisory committee that will provide feedback on new programming directions.

The idea for peer mentoring came from the teens themselves in one of the focus groups held every year to evaluate TTT. Several teens in the “Beyond TTT” group for 18 to 21 year-olds were saying that they would have benefited from the advice of a young woman who had experienced the difficulties of teen motherhood and overcome its challenges. They were also willing to be mentors to younger teens in the program.

For more information about Time Out for Teens and Tots™, please contact Program Director Louise Leibowitz at lleibowitz@caspa.org.

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They Say It’s Our Birthday . . .

In April 2007 CAS of PA celebrated 125 years of serving at risk children and families. Founded in 1882 as a voluntary organization of private individuals cooperating with public officials, CAS of PA was created "to place the children needing care into private family homes where natural and healthful conditions might speedily absorb them into the life of the community." It was the first agency of its kind in Pennsylvania and one of the first in the United States.

In the early 20th century, CAS of PA was a leader in raising awareness of issues affecting disadvantaged children. Its achievements include:

• Advocating for the first juvenile court in Pennsylvania (established in 1903).
  
• Developing "a course of training in child helping" in 1908, the first effort in social work education in this area and one of the first in the country. (The Pennsylvania School of Social Service Inc., eventually developed from this endeavor, and in 1935 became the Pennsylvania School of Social Work of the University of Pennsylvania, awarding master of social work and doctor of social work degrees.)
  
• Participating in the first White House Conference on Children in 1909.
  
• Assisting in the creation of the United States Children's Bureau in 1911.
  
• Organizing, along with other agencies a "well clinic” in 1920 that gave wards of the state complete physical examinations and health supervision. The clinic later became an integral part of The Children's Hospital.

We will be highlighting activities and programs celebrating our rich history. For information about how you can become involved, please contact CAS of PA's Executive Director, Gail Ober at gober@caspa.org.

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