What's New at KidsPeace

As National Foster Care Month draws to a close, the KidsPeace Foster Care office in Doylestown, PA, reported on the activities of its foster parent support group. This enthusiastic group of foster parents is about to publish  the second quarterly issue of the Foster Parent Newsletter. The first issue was excellent and a large success.  It was edited by one of the foster mothers who compiled numerous articles from other parents. The second issue is being eagerly awaited by all. 
 
On May 25, the support group also kicked off a series of summer picnics that they are organizing.  The first picnic was held at Peace Valley Park in Chalfont, PA. More than 50 people attended, including foster parents, their extended family members, kids and the foster care staff. There were huge amounts of great food, and the kids enjoyed playing all kinds of games and also liked hanging out by the lake. There will be a series of picnics throughout the summer at different parks throughout Bucks County, culminating in a day at Menlo Park's water park for National Kids' Day on August 2.

CAPTRUST Financial Advisors, headquartered in Raleigh, NC, has a community
foundation committee that selects worthy organizations to support.  After a
presentation in December by Family Resource Specialist Carla Daniels of the
Raleigh KidsPeace Foster Care office, the committee decided to help brighten the
lives of the Raleigh KidsPeace foster children who have been through so much. The children prepare
wish lists of gifts they would really like for their birthdays, and the CAPTRUST staff
take the lists and shop for birthday presents for each child. They deliver the gifts
to the Raleigh KidsPeace office, where staff wrap and deliver the generous presents
to each child. The children write thank you notes, which the CAPTRUST staff happily
display on the “Wall of Fame” in their office. The CAPTRUST folks take great pride in the
appreciation expressed by our children, and the children are delighted to have their wishes come true. KidsPeace appreciates the generosity of this firm and the involvement of CAPTRUST employees who want to make a difference in the lives of many children.

The new Children' Hospital module open house for professionals on June 4th will feature an international expert on school shooters. Clinical Director of KidsPeace Pennsylvania Residential Programs Dr. Peter Langman has been studying the psychology of school shooters since Columbine and recently released Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters, a compelling study of youth who have been involved in school shootings over the past decade. Dr. Langman has become a frequent spokesperson on the subject on television and radio, as well as in print. At the open house, he will be signing copies of his book and discussing issues concerning school shooters and risk assessment development to identify potential shooters. Langman and other KidsPeace Children's Hospital leadership will guide visitors through the new module and point out safety and treatment advances that set this facility apart in the treatment of children in crisis. The event will take place from 4:00 p.m until 7:00 p.m. at the Children's Hospital in Orefield, PA. For more information on the open house, please call Laurel Youse at 610-799-8397 or email her at laurel.youse@kidspeace.org.

From left to right, Georgia Board of Associates and KidsPeace National Board of Trustees member Dick Plunkett, KidsPeace President and CEO Will Isemann, Seleta W., Executive Director Scott Merritt and Board of Associates Chairperson Dick Tisinger participate in official groundbreaking ceremony at Bowdon Campus.
 
 
Donations for this project were received from many community members and the Campbell Foundation, the Woodruff Foundation and the Carroll EMC Foundation. “We are truly blessed to have such generous donors,” said President and CEO of KidsPeace Will Isemann. “The large donations from the foundations allowed us to add classrooms to the facility