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NEWS RELEASE

August 22, 2007

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Howard County’s Child and Adolescent Resource (CARE) Center Services Now Available to Families

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Ken Ulman today joined Director of Citizen Services Susan Rosenbaum and staff from the Office of Children’s Services to celebrate a new service for parents and caregivers. The Child and Adolescent Resource (CARE) Center is now staffed and accepting calls from parents and families who are trying to locate information and resources to help them meet the challenges of raising children and teens.

“As the father of two young children, I understand how difficult it can be to find the services and resources you need, when you need them,” said Ulman. “The CARE Center is our way of providing a single point of access so families will know exactly where they can turn for information, advice or a referral to an expert.”

The CARE Center has been serving child care professionals since April and offering advice, suggestions and referrals on issues regarding how to handle difficult behaviors like anxiety, bullying, biting, trouble following directions, and the inability to share. In more challenging cases, CARE Center Behavioral Specialists will make visits to child care programs for observation and assessment.

The CARE Center now offers these same services to all families. The staff is trained to answer questions as straightforward as how to find a softball league or as complex as how to find help for a child with a learning disability. They are also able to answer inquiries on topics like school readiness, achieving success in school, difficult behaviors, child care programs, developmental delays, parenting, support groups for children and parents, community services and financial assistance.

“The friendly, knowledgeable people at the CARE Center helped me find resources and services to help my grandchildren that I didn’t know existed,” said Reba Nelson, a grandmother. “Having someone to turn to and one place to call makes it so much easier.”

The CARE Center is staffed and accepting calls from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 410-313-CARE (2273) or by e-mail to children@howardcountymd.gov . To contact the Office of Children’s Services, call 410-313-1940.

The CARE Center is a project of Howard County’s Office of Children’s Services. Partners and supporters of the project include: The Governor’s Office for Children, Howard County Mental Health Authority, The Horizon Foundation, Maryland State Department of Education, Howard County Local Children’s Board, Howard County Child Care Resource Center and Howard County Department of Citizen Services.