Family & Children’s Agency is currently seeking to renew its Hague accreditation for its intercountry Adoption programs in Taiwan, Korea, and China.

The Council on Accreditation (COA), a national accrediting body approved by the United States Department of State to conduct Hague accreditation and approval reviews, invites the public to provide comment on intercountry adoption service providers seeking Hague accreditation or approval or renewal of Hague accreditation or approval. You may provide comment by clicking on:  http://www.coanet.org/front3/page.cfm?sect=54&cont=4251

Family & Children’s Agency is honored to be one of 15 nonprofits from San Francisco, Chicago, and the New York metropolitan area selected to participate in this year’s Morgan Stanley’s Strategy Challenge.

The Morgan Stanley team will work with Family & Children’s Agency to optimize the Agency’s business strategy for its Home Care Services.

Read more about the Strategic Challenge.

Robert Cashel, President & CEO with IMAGINE 2012: Hollywood Glamorous Co-Chairs Maria Wilcox, Tracy Scarfi, and Kris Herlyn.

Family & Children’s Agency is setting the stage for its annual benefit IMAGINE 2012: Hollywood Glamorous on Friday, May 18, at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wilton.

In honor of the Agency’s 70^th anniversary, the benefit’s theme Hollywood Glamorous will reflect the sophistication and elegance of classic Hollywood in the early-1940s when stylish stars and starlets graced the big screen.

Founded in 1942, the same year that “Casablanca,” “Woman of the Year” and other Hollywood classics were released, Family & Children’s Agency opened its doors in the midst of World War II and focused on responding to the needs of women and families as they sought to cope with separation, stress, and loss.

IMAGINE 2012: Hollywood Glamorous will bring together the glamour and style of classic Hollywood with the real life efforts of the Agency from 1942 to today. A historical retrospective showcasing photos and archives from the Agency’s seven decades of service will be debuted at the benefit. The evening will also include cocktails, dinner and dancing, and silent and live auctions.

“Since our inception, the Agency has stayed true to its mission of working with people as they respond to the ever changing dynamics of the world around them,” said Rob Cashel, President & CEO  “Today we continue to offer a wide variety of strength-based programs that respond to the individual social and emotional needs of children & families, youth, adults, and seniors. ”

Co-chairs for this year’s event are Kris & Jeff Herlyn, Tracy & Joe Scarfi, and Maria & Tom Wilcox. “We are honored to have these individuals serve as our co-chairs,” said Cashel. “Their understanding of the Agency, its role in the community, and the value of community involvement has been outstanding. We are grateful for their vision and leadership.”

Early sponsors for the benefit include the Agency’s corporate partners and supporters, they are FactSet Research Systems, Inc., Fairfield County Bank, JetBlue Airways, People’s United Bank, Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan LLC, along with many individuals.

Tax-deductible contributions to support the Agency’s work are always welcome, and 89 cents of every dollar goes directly to children & families, youth, adults, and seniors. All proceeds will benefit the Agency’s programs that serve over 10,000 clients annually that are located throughout Fairfield County and beyond.

Learn more about IMAGINE 2012: Hollywood Glamorous, or contact Carolynn Olsen at colsen@fcagency.org or (203) 855-8765.

The spirit of St. Patrick was strong last Thursday as Family & Children’s Agency celebrated St. Patrick’s day at B.J. Ryan’s pub in Norwalk. Attendees were treated to bangers and mash, corn beef sliders, mini shepherd’s pie and a choice of Irish beers. Door prizes for the evening included a gift certificate to B.J. Ryan’s, a manicure, and a wide selection of wines.

Thank you to B.J. Ryan’s, Nails & More, Green’s Farm’s Spirits, and Naked Greens for their contributions.

Also, a big Irish thank you to everyone who came out in support of the Agency, proceeds will go directly to benefit our clients. Check out photos from the evening on our Facebook page. And while you’re there, don’t forget to “like” us.

Please help us celebrate 70 years of service by joining us for our annual benefit IMAGINE 2012: Hollywood Glamorous on Friday, May 18. Invitations for the red carpet event will go out later this month, look for yours in the mail.

In honor of National Women’s History month, Family & Children’s Agency remembers Margaret E. Pantzer, the first Executive Secretary of the Agency.

Miss. Pantzer responded to the needs of women and families experiencing difficulties during World  War II as they sought to cope with stress, separation, and loss.

“The war hasn’t brought any new social problems, it has only accentuated the old ones,” Miss Pantzer told The Sentinel in an  April 14, 1945 interview.

“People are coming to us for advice on matters that have been emphasized by war conditions,” she declared “but fundamentally most of their problems are as old as the human race.”

Since that time, Family & Children’s Agency has grown to become one of the largest human service organizations in Fairfield County. Last year over 10,000 individuals of all ages and all walks of life experienced life-altering, positive changes as a result of their work with the Agency.

Sheetal Akole, middle, presents a check to help fund the After School Program to Jennifer Barahona, Director of Youth Development. They are with Norwalk youth enrolled in the After School Program.

Sheetal Akole and Khushwant Dhaliwal, both students at St. Luke’s School who live in Norwalk, recently handed over donations of $800 and $300 respectively to Jennifer Barahona, Director of Youth Development at Family & Children’s Agency. Both teens volunteer at a community math club on Saturday afternoons in Fairfield, where they coach fifth through eighth graders for national level math contests to raise funds for charities.

“The mission of the Fairfield Math Club is to provide service to the community by increasing awareness and preparedness of students in Fairfield County for nationally acclaimed math contests,” says Sheetal.  “At the same time, we want to help charities with donations generated through these activities.”

“We are thrilled to accept both Sheetal’s and Khushwant donations,” said Barahona. “This is the second year in a row that Sheetal has chosen to donate to our program, and the first time for Khushwant. Clearly, they both have a strong understanding of the value of education in our community, and are willing to share their love of math so that others can have additional educational opportunities.”

Sheetal choose to donate her funds to the After School Program because she knows that some students are in need of after-school academic assistance and encouragement. “This enables them to develop and maintain early academic interests,” said Sheetal.

The After School Program provides academic support and enrichment to students from Norwalk public middle schools during the academic year.  Earlier this year, the program expanded from 36 to 50 students.

The Fairfield Math Club, which started with 11 students in 2006, has grown to over 70 students. During 2011, the Fairfield Math Club offered two math contest preparation classes: MOEMS (Mathematical Olympiad for Elementary and Middle School) for grades 3-8, and the Continental Math League for grades 1-8.

The club also hosted the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) 8 in November 2011. Fairfield Math Club team received the Certificate of Merit for a team score of 50 or better, which is in the top 5% of all 2,346 participating schools in the United States. The club average score was higher than the National and Connecticut average, with club members in each grade scoring higher than the corresponding grade-level national and Connecticut average.

In January, Sheetal started a Norwalk chapter of the Fairfield Math Club in order to provide the math contest preparation sessions to the 5^th – 8^th grade children in the Norwalk-Stamford area.  She already has 18 students enrolled and looks forward to continue to serve the local community. For information on the Fairfield Math Club, please contact Sheetal at fairfield.math.club@gmail.com.

Family & Children’s Agency has received a $25,000 grant from Fairfield County Community Foundation to support its After School Program.  The program provides academic support and enrichment for students from Norwalk public middle schools during the academic year.  Earlier this year, the program expanded from 36 to 50 students.

Rob Cashel, President and CEO, commented, “We are very pleased that the Fairfield County Community Foundation continues to support our After School Program.”  He continued, “They understand the value of this program in terms of how it can benefit not only the participants, but also their families and communities in general.”

Split between homework and enrichment activities, the After School Program runs for two and a half hours each afternoon Monday through Friday.  Academics are focused on the students’ needs and may include homework help, preparation for quizzes or tests, or the chance to study with a volunteer who can answer questions about the lessons.  Life skills offerings include, for example, programs on conflict resolution and building healthy peer relationships.  Enrichment opportunities are varied, and may include yoga, music, computer programming, theater and other experiences.

The Fairfield County Community Foundation promotes the growth of community and regional philanthropy to improve the quality of life throughout Fairfield County.  Individuals, families, corporations and organizations can establish charitable funds and contribute to existing funds.  The Foundation also provides philanthropic advisory services and develops and leads initiatives to tackle critical community issues.

January is National Mentoring Month. On Sunday, January 15, The Hour in Norwalk published the following article, “National Mentoring Month highlights need for positive role models,” that features some of our Project Friendship mentoring matches.

Left to Right. Clare Chimento, Tamara Cannon, Janina Castiglia, and Jennifer Barahona of Family & Children’s Agency join Annalisa Stravato, Vice President of the Wilton Kiwanis Club.

Family & Children’s Agency kicked off its new speaker’s bureau early this week at the Wilton Kiwanis Club. Speaking to a group of 50 to 60 attendees, Jennifer Barahona, Director of Youth Development, spoke about the impact of the Agency and how it serves over 10,000 children and families, youth, adults, and seniors each year. In particular, she discussed how the Agency is able to make a difference in the lives of youth through its Afterschool and Mentoring programs.

“What we are finding is that there are a lot of people in the community who are interested in learning more about what we do,” said Rob Cashel, President & CEO of Family & Children’s Agency.  “Either they have a family member or a friend who could benefit from our services. Or they are in a position of giving back and are looking for meaningful ways to do so in their community.”

The Speakers Bureau kicked off is first presentation in Wilton, a community that has long been engaged with the Agency. It hopes to take its message to other surround communities including Westport, Darien, Weston, and New Canaan. “By actively getting out into the community, we hope to increase the number of people who know about us, and the depth of their understanding” says Cashel. “While we’ve been well-known in certain communities for a long time, other communities are just beginning to tap into what we offer.”

Community organizations, schools, or religious groups interested in having the Agency present at an upcoming meeting, may contact Janina Castiglia at jcastiglia@fcagency.org or at (203) 523-5719.

Left to right, Peter Armstrong and Sean Timmins, Triple Point Technology, Inc. in Westport, unload bags of toys for Family & Children’s Agency to distribute to its clients.

Family & Children’s Agency “elves” worked throughout December to create the holiday spirit for over 1,000 clients, assisted by many local corporations and other generous donors who provided presents, gift cards, meals, and special treats.  Agency President  & CEO, Rob Cashel, expressed thanks on behalf of the organization and its clients, saying, “So many people have been so generous with their time and talents to once again help our clients have special holiday celebrations.  We are very grateful to everyone who has joined us in this effort.”

Adaptive Marketing LLC, Diageo, General Re Corporation, Xerox Corporation, and the Chilton family all sponsored holiday parties for Agency clients which include children and their families, youth, and adults.

Left to right, Kathleen Callahan and Laura Jacob of FactSet Research Systems Inc. in Norwalk, along with Mayx Holmes, Manager of Volunteer Services at Family & Children’s Agency, carry in some of the many gifts donated by employees of Fact Set.

Amy Comunale demonstrates the spirit of giving as she brings in bags of gifts donated by General Re Corporation in Stamford.

Adaptive Marketing, along with Media Storm, Norwalk Hospital, Darien Girl Scout Troop 50152 and individual families, participated in the Sponsor a Family Program.  Each group selected one or more families who are in great need of assistance this year and provided several gifts for each member of the family.

FactSet Research Systems Inc., General Re, Pepperidge Farm, Inc., as well as Triple Point Technology in Westport, and Grace Episcopal Church in Norwalk, participated in the gift collection program, purchasing individual presents that were requested by children and adults who use the services of the Agency.

Several groups, including the Darien Girl Scouts, New Canaan Cub Scouts, and children at the Tumble Bugs Day School in Norwalk, and Osborn Hill Elementaryin Fairfield prepared “Holiday Meals to Go” which included pasta and jars of sauce, canned vegetables and fruits, and mixes to make cookies or brownies for dessert.  Board members and friends of the Agency provided grocery gift cards for clients to purchase food for the holidays.  The Wilton Girl Scouts contributed “Jars of Joy” cookie mix for clients in the Agency’s Project REWARD program, which supports women who are recovering from addiction.

Two groups of children helped to brighten the holiday for foster children and their families.  New Canaan YMCA’s Indian Guides and Indian Princesses created gift bags and baked cookies for the Foster Care holiday party.  In addition, students in the Kids Care Club at Ox Ridge Elementary School in Darien spent several of their weekly meetings making party decorations, personalized gift bags, and cookies for the party.

The Ox Ridge Kids Care Club in Darien shows off a long paper chain they made for the annual Specialized Foster Care party at Family & Children’s Agency.

Mayx Holmes, Manager of Volunteers at the Agency, noted, “We especially appreciate the contributions from the children, who are beginning to learn about supporting and helping people in their communities whose lives are different from theirs.  And, of course, the holidays provide us with a great opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to all of our volunteers who work with us throughout the year to help our clients toward better lives.”