Communities for Children

Communities for Children (C4C) is a statewide initiative of the Maine Children's Cabinet designed to create a partnership between state government and local communities as they work on:

• The prevention of child abuse; youth substance abuse; juvenile delinquency; youth violence; school failure; and homelessness.

• The promotion of positive child and youth development.

Since 1997, 70 communities have joined the network, representing more than 325 municipalities and 70% of the state's population.

 

One of the most significant resources offered to the C4C partners is access to a full-time Americorp VISTA Volunteer. Communities for Children VISTA volunteers are dispersed throughout the state, serving with C4C Partner Communities as well as participating non-profit organizations and governmental agencies. VISTAs commit a full year of service and live on a federally mandated subsistence allowance set at the poverty wage of the state.  They also receive a stipend that can be applied to education or student loans. Project Highlights: Last year, 34 VISTAs served Maine communities and state agencies.

 

What the Communities for Children VISTAs do…

 

Communities for Children VISTAs have been working to deliver these promises by:

·      Promoting positive youth development; using the 40 Developmental Assets for assessing youth needs and focusing the organization efforts of communities.

·      Developing collaborative relationships through local Children’s Leadership Councils.

·      Educating Community Partners in best practices.

·      Networking across state and organizational boundaries.

·      Empowering youth and teaching civic engagement.

·      Developing sustainable programs through fund raising and volunteer recruitment

C4C VISTAs have organized educational trainings, including: Best Practices in Teen Centers; Suicide Prevention; Best Practices in Mentoring; the 40 Developmental Assets; Infant Brain Development; Rapid Response to Homeless Youth.

VISTAs have also contributed to youth empowerment and civic engagement in local communities through offering nationally recognized leadership development training; training youth in skills needed for effective board participation; developing opportunities for youth to share their stories via television, radio and print media; and developing youth councils to advise city and town councils.  And C4C VISTAs have developed and supported teen centers in Augusta, Freeport, Belfast, Bucksport, Westbrook, Gorham, Waterville, Biddeford, Orono and Gardiner.

Since 1998, C4C VISTAs have recruited community volunteers who have contributed a total of 67,067 hours of service.  C4C VISTAs have raised $257,915 in in-kind gifts and over $1,769,124 through grants, fund-raisers and donations. 

Communities for Children Coalitions for Prevention (PRISM) Project

 

The PRISM Project represents a collaboration the following groups:

·      The C4C state level office

·      The Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services

·      The University of Southern Maine’s Institute for Public Sector Innovation (IPSI) at the Muskie School for Public Service

·      Three C4C Partner Communities. 

The project goal was to put in place a continuum of prevention services for children and youth from birth to age 18 in each site, with a focus on the prevention of youth violence and substance abuse.  PRISM sites included

·      The River Coalition in Old Town

·      Capital Kids in Augusta

·      Youth Promise of Lincoln County. 

The Waterville C4C became an additional PRISM site in 2002.  The state level C4C office and IPSI assisted the PRISM sites.

In addition to assisting the three PRISM sites, the state C4C office has worked on continuing to develop infrastructure supports for all 70 of the C4C partners in the state.  This has included training, technical assistance, and a communications network, and support of C4C VISTA volunteers assigned to local communities.  Two of the C4C VISTA volunteers assisted central office efforts.  One completed a needs assessment for the less developed C4Cs and the other is currently working on the update of the C4C Town Level Data Set, making it available online and in the form of GIS maps.

 

 Examples of PRISM Community Level Projects

 

The program trains community adult and high school mentors in the Challenge Day process, and then conducts a one-day event that involves all of the students in one of the high school classes.  The day-long process, led by national trainers, helps students identify themselves to each other in relation to the many experiences of oppression or loss that they share in common—including such experiences as substance abuse in their families, the death of a parent, the loss of a sibling or friend to suicide, the experience of sexual harassment or being bullied, the violence targeting youth who are gay or lesbian, the lack of acceptance because of body type or size, the pain of racial prejudice, etc.  At some point, every student crosses the line, standing on the other side of the room with peers and adults.  Barriers are broken down in a way that changes the quality of life in the schools, and the mentors continue to support their younger mentees throughout the following year.  This is a particularly effective violence and bullying prevention strategy.

 

 

MACS offers a clearinghouse of approved community service projects supervised by trained volunteer mentors.  There are 29 active community service sites, including the Lincoln County Animal Shelter, the Waldoboro and Nobleboro Transfer Stations, Miles Memorial Health Care and Carpenter’s Boat Building Shop.  In 2002, 73 youth were served by the program, with 45 completions and 23 who are still enrolled.  Of these, only two reoffended.  A total of 2159 community service hours were contributed by the 45 completers.  Mentors contributed a total of 3,206 hours.  The C4C VISTA volunteer contributed a great deal to the realization of program goals and has developed a program spin-off, which will be implemented in the coming year.  This is the MACS-SAYS program (Mentor Assisted Community Service ­ Schools Alternative to Youth Suspension).  This effort will help schools and the community prevent the kinds of problems that lead youth to the MACS program ­ a further step toward primary prevention work and an important collaboration between Youth Promise of Lincoln County and local schools.

 

 

Putting the funds together from PRISM and the 21^st Century Learning Center grants enabled this C4C to develop an innovative approach to youth problems in Augusta. The existence of this after-school and weekend center has generated two significant results.  Because of the successful collaboration with the schools, students began to be referred to The Edge who were in need of mentoring and structured support in lieu of suspension or expulsion.  And homeless teens gravitated to The Edge, leading the Executive Director to develop a successful proposal to the Maine State Housing Authority for Mentor-Assisted Housing for Homeless Youth.  Property is now being purchased for this program.