The state of Maryland has awarded a total of $570,994 to Harford County’s Local Management Board to fund child and family focused programs in fiscal year 2018. The Local Management Board (LMB) is a grant-funded organization within the county’s Office of Children, Youth and Families, under the administration of County Executive Barry Glassman. This year’s total includes a competitive grant award of $88,000, which the LMB will use for new programs to reduce childhood hunger, empower families to escape poverty and diminish the impact of parental incarceration on children in Harford County. The funding was announced on May 31, 2017 by the Maryland’s Children’s Cabinet, through the Governor’s Office for Children as part of $18 million in statewide grant awards to Maryland’s Local Management Boards.
Specifically, this year’s total grant funding will allow the LMB to offer the following new programs in Harford County:
“Getting Ahead in a Just Getting By World” is an educational program for low income families that addresses the causes of poverty. This class has a high success rate, with evaluations showing significant effects on poverty-related knowledge, perceived stress, mental health and well-being, self-sufficiency, goal directed behavior and planning.
“Parenting Inside Out (PIO)” is an evidence-based parenting skills training program for families affected by parental incarceration. Topics include communication skills, problem solving, emotion regulation, child development, non-violent discipline techniques, positive reinforcement, monitoring and healthy family dynamics. The program will target incarcerated mothers and fathers in the detention center and parents on parole or probation in the community.
“Project S.E.E.K. (Services to Empower and Enable Kids)” is a program aimed at reducing intergenerational incarceration. The program addresses the risk and protective factors associated with delinquency and criminal behavior at both the individual and family levels. Project S.E.E.K. incorporates mental health programming for youth, problem-solving and social skills training, substance abuse prevention, and violence prevention and conflict resolution. This comprehensive program has four major program components: home visits, advocacy and referral, support groups and facilitating child-inmate communication.
“Reducing Childhood Hunger” helps families become more self-sufficient, food-secure, and economically stable. Rather than offering pre-packaged/pre-weighed food, the program creates a food pantry where clients can shop for their own groceries using a point system. This gives families the freedom to choose the foods that best meet their needs. Clients also receive one-on-one counseling to address individual needs, develop strategies for financial management, discuss access to other resources, and formulate a plan for job searching, if applicable. The six-week program under the guidance of the national nonprofit No Kid Hungry’s Cooking Matters program includes budgeting, shopping for food, making healthy choices, planning menus and cooking nutritious meals.
To learn more or inquire about participating in these programs, please contact Silvana Bowker, director of the Harford County Local Management Board at scbowker@harfordcountymd.gov or 410-638-3389.
Formed in 1994, Harford County’s Local Management Board brings together local child-serving agencies; local child providers; clients of services; families, and other community representatives to address the critical needs of and recommends priorities for the County.
