What's Up at the Family Network...

I have good news and bad news to share with you all. First the bad news: As with many of the state funded programs, the Massachusetts Family Networks have been told to cut their budgets. Our FN budget will be cut by 21.5% or $28,811.29, which drops our $134,006 budget down to $105,194.71. This is no easy task since we have been level funded for the last 6 years! With help from some of the Advisory Council members we have come up with the following cuts, which means the following changes to our program.

Staff salary and hours have been cut, we can no longer contract with anyone to provide parenting workshops, we will no longer be able to pay for child care providers so our child care may become very limited since we'll rely on volunteers, and we will not be able to offer the community based activities such as Squeaky Sneakers, Mr. Kim or Friday's drop in music with Mr. Mike to mention a few. Our supply line only holds funds for limited postage and we will no longer contract for once a week cleaning. We no longer have funds for printing so we will not make newsletters available in the community and we have severely cut back on our mailing list since we are now copying off a very basic newsletter ourselves.

The Good News is we are still HERE. Our playspace and the extra room across the hall will still be here for families with the help of our previous donations! It was decided that we need the extra space to allow for programs that may be developed with parent input, energy and assistance. We will try our hardest to provide a number of parent/child activities for everyone and we ask that anyone who has something to offer PLEASE step forward and share! Our parenting workshops may be fewer but Eliza and I will do our best to bring information to you and we will outreach to parents and others who could provide presentations for free, as our facilitator for our upcoming Parenting Journey has done. We will be able to bring back our Single Parent Meeting held once a month with the support of a community group and I look forward to other opportunities which may come about in this manner.

What we need from all of you is your SUPPORT if you are in a position to help. For those who aren't, not to worry because there will always be people here for you. Your support can come in so many different ways. We'll need volunteers to help with child care, creative and energetic folks to come up with activities and programs like Alex's and Darleen's Happy Trails program this fall, and boxes of crackers, bottles of juice and diapers. Anyone have a connection to a printer or big copy machine to help us copy off 400 newsletters?? Back up cleaning crews, meals for the Parenting Journey program... if you have time and a chance to share a talent, ability, or connection let Rosemary know, PLEASE!

The last thought I'll leave you with is a notice of an upcoming mailing that you will receive. Long before these cuts were announced, our Advisory Council decided to hold a direct mailing fundraiser to maintain and increase our programs - now more than ever! With the shift in economic times I realize that this will not be an option for many of you but please know that it's okay! I truly believe that giving comes in different ways and times. Sometimes the gift of giving is as simple as being here and sharing yourself, your children, your stories, and your joys with others because without families coming together, we would not be the wonderful Family Network that we are!

We wish you all the best for a happy, healthy & safe Holiday Season!

Rosemary, Eliza and Danielle