“The Supporting Children’s Mental Health Care Access Act and the Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Act would increase access to mental health care services and provide direct funding to schools for mental health promotion and suicide prevention. These bills are bipartisan efforts, and they are gaining momentum. Let your elected representatives know you support them. It takes everyone to address this mental health crisis.” — Dr. Deanna Behrens, Pediatric Intensive Care The Surgeon General has sounded read more…
“The Supporting Children’s Mental Health Care Access Act and the Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Act would increase access to mental health care services and provide direct funding to schools for mental health promotion and suicide prevention. These bills are bipartisan efforts, and they are gaining momentum. Let your elected representatives know you support them. It takes everyone to address this mental health crisis.” — Dr. Deanna Behrens, Pediatric Intensive Care The Surgeon General has sounded read more…
Guest post by Grinil Khanna with AuX Family Dynamics. We used to have a routine. Wake up, get the kids ready, take the kids to school, hustle to work in traffic, answer to the boss, rush back home hoping the kids were doing what they had to do without getting into trouble, and run around like a chicken with its head cut off until the kids were fed and in bed. The pandemic has changed this read more…
Since April 2020 Promise the Children has worked with an incredible group of volunteers to make and distribute over 800 face masks to organizations and individuals in need. Thank you to our tireless mask makers who churn out not only beautiful but safe clear-faced and silk-lined cotton masks! Deliveries of masks have gone to a number of Lynn organizations including My Brother’s Table, The REAL Program, Lynn YMCA and Essex County Community Organization (ECCO). We’ve also delivered read more…
There are lessons to learn from the shutdown of child-care this spring in Massachusetts. How can child care centers work? Massachusetts designated 10,000 “emergency” free child-care slots for eligible “essential workers,” and disabled, and/or homeless children. About 2,500 spots were used. These slots are still open to eligible parents who are returning to work. We can’t verify the reason for this lack of use, but here are some suggestions: Perhaps “essential workers” were strictly defined and too many parents were read more…
There is no national child-care system. Working parents living on or close to minimum wage cannot afford to pay for licensed child care, rent, food, and transportation. They may be lucky enough to rely on a family member, or on a small group of neighbors. But they cannot necessarily rely on the safety of whatever arrangement they are able to make. Fewer than half the population of low waged families have access to quality, licensed child care. This is especially read more…
While volunteering in a children’s summer program, I often saw a foster child run to the teacher’s desk each day and ask if their foster parent had dropped off lunch. Lunch was never there, and the child was offered a daily peanut butter sandwich. This was humiliating because others had good food from home. One day this child brought food and shared it within the classroom. Sadly, the facilitator, not knowing the significance of this event, ordered that the read more…
Today’s children face multiple stresses surrounding separation from family and community. This separation in and of itself is very stressful. The reasons for the separation are also stressful, and may include: Parent(s) who are addicted to opioids or substances causing them to neglect their children. Based on data from 2014 and earlier, about 1 in 8 children (8.7 million) aged 17 or younger lived in households with at least one parent who had a Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Parent(s) who read more…
Red Flag Laws: 17 states have enacted a Red Flag Law. This law allows a temporary removal of firearms from a person who may present a danger to themselves or others. A judge makes the determination at a court hearing, and refusal to comply is a criminal offense. Another court hearing is usually required to extend the gun removal. This law has strong support, including from the NRA, as long as due process is involved. Senator Marco Rubio (R — read more…
Assault Weapons: Recently I saw a TV report about a U.S. District Attorney who was shot and wounded by someone whom she had sentenced. The dark scars running up her arms startled me. The shooter had used an assault weapon with bullets that exploded after entering her body. While our constitution allows the ownership of guns, there is no reason for the private or licensed sale of assault weapons and ammunition to the general public. Gun manufacturers have a responsibility read more…
Please sign up and join 500 other volunteer advocates who support the safety net for our nation's children. We send monthly emails suggesting ways to help. Too many parents are working for low wages that prevent them from paying for safe childcare, early education and adequate health care. They need support!
