Blog
Tykes, families share graduation joy with HANDS partners
May 1, 2018
Family & Children’s Place staff and client families celebrated their own graduation recently, celebrating with 22 of the 53 children graduating as part of the spring 2018 HANDS client class.
More than 90 family members joined their tiny grads for a celebration party at Our Mother of Sorrows on Eastern Parkway. EPIC Insurance sponsored the celebration, which featured food, games, fun, smiles, laughter, and lots of congratulations!
HANDS is a core program for Family & Children’s Place that provides new parents free in-home visitation by a skilled mentor who teaches them parenting and behavioral skills, and techniques and activities that stimulate development to give their baby the best start possible in life.
Graduates and families enjoyed a smorgasbord of food, cheese cubes, cheese bits, bananas, oranges, apple slices, chicken nuggets, and, of course, graduation cake. Volunteers from EPIC and others hosted a bevy of activities, including, a reading corner (where staff read stories to kids), cupcake decoration station, noodle necklaces (string colorful penne noodle necklaces), graduation crown decoration, Play-Doh Station, and photo area.
HANDS staff provided a certificate ceremony for all of the graduates, who also received a backpack stuffed with goodies and a game bag.
Congratulations to the new graduates and their families! And thanks to every member of the amazing HANDS team, for not only the wonderful support you give to children and families, but also for sharing your strength, spirit, and talents to create not only a powerful and lasting difference in the lives of these families, but also to your teammates at Family & Children’s Place.