“For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be.” ― John Connolly
The National Center for Children and Families (NCCF) has been in the business of helping children for over a century. Experience has shown us that the loss of a healthy and stable childhood is the most devastating thing a human can endure. Growing up abandoned, neglected, and without having physical or emotional needs met is a recipe for enduring trauma. It changes the brain chemistry; it inhibits the ability to learn and creates generational suffering. Because of what we know, at NCCF, we see a loss of childhood as most troubling for the poorest and vulnerable in our midst.
As we approach this holiday season, it is critical that we work together to preserve childhood for young people across our region.
What does preserving childhood look like at NCCF?
It looks like a mother in our Greentree Shelter going to her first job interview in years! By providing her with the essentials like food, clothes, childcare and case management to address the barriers that have made her homeless; she can see a different future for herself. She can provide for her own family with full-time employment and exit the shelter to a home of their own.
For NCCF’s Foster Care program, preserving childhood looks like being chosen by your forever family. It looks like achieving permanency for a child who has experienced neglect but is now thriving because she has a family who wants her.
It looks like celebrating simple milestones for our FutureBound Independent Living youth and the young men that live in our high intensity group home. Getting a driving permit. Graduating from high school. Helping a young person set up her first apartment. Becoming a first-time homebuyer, like our client Olivia, and experiencing the joy of painting every room a different color.
Preserving childhood looks like connecting our clients with the Black Physicians & Healthcare Network (BPHN) and ensuring that those that we serve have access to a healthcare home and a primary care physician where they can be comfortable in the knowledge that their provider understands their journey and culture.
Preserving childhood is what NCCF does. It’s what we know how to do best! Please join us today to ensure that families have what they need to support their children during this holiday season. Your investment is needed more than ever before.
Warmly,
Ralph D. Belk, LICSW, LCSW-C
