Our program was provided by staff from the Children’s Home of Easton: Gabby Toedter, Kiana Faroun, and Kristin Koscielski Frampton. Kristin provided the following account.
Gabby, Kiana, and I had a great time attending the Easton Rotary meeting yesterday the Pomfret Club. Gabby and I introduced ourselves and spoke about the history of the home as it relates to our mission and vision. Starting in 1885 as a safe place for struggling families to bring their children, our goal has always been t o car e for the vulnerable youth in our community and help families reach a place of stability and peace. Fast forward nearly 140 years, and while the campus and programs have changed, our mission remains the same - to build, strengthen, and preserve the family’s full potential. We then spoke about our current programs and how they benefit the youth that we serve.
Campus residential - We touched on our interim-education program, our campus activities, and summer trips.
Supervised Visitation and Custody Exchange - How we help the reunification process and aid families as they navigate co-parenting. Behavioral Health Clinic - I spoke about our partnership with Concern Professional Services and how we listened to the needs of the community, and that dire need being mental health. I emphasized how we have grown hiring therapists, and how we serve not just CHE residents, but all individuals and families on medical assistance.
Older Youth - Gabby and I spoke in detail about our Older Youth Program. The requirements to be part of the program, the growing need for services for the teenage and young adult population, the Life Skills curriculum they are taught and the ultimate goal and importance of the program as it sets youth up for future success. We shared success stories of Rafia and Blaine. Gordon Bigelow remembers hearing Blaine speak years ago and expressed how impressed he was with him and his progress.
Foster Care- Gabby spoke in depth about our Foster Care Program and how we are actively looking for new foster families. She shared the common misconceptions of foster care and informed the group about the benefits that CHE offers parents. The training that foster parents take in preparation, how long it typically takes to go through the foster application process, our 24/7 community support network and how we are always a call away for any help. She shared how many foster families we have and the towns they are located in.