BUILD Health Challenge Visit to Franklin Park: Reflecting on Progress and Planning for the Future

We were honored to host team members from the BUILD Health Challenge for a special visit to Franklin Park in Allentown. This meaningful day provided an opportunity to reflect on one year of progress in the Lehigh Valley, discuss next steps, and set future goals for improving health outcomes in the Franklin Park community.

During the visit, each partner involved in the BUILD Health Challenge shared their unique focus and contributions to the work. Representatives from healthcare, local government, and community organizations highlighted the important roles they play—from advancing access to healthcare, to addressing housing stability, to promoting overall well-being for children and families. These collaborative efforts have been essential in driving positive change, and the visit provided a platform for deeper discussions about how these partnerships can continue to grow and evolve.

Following the reflection and strategic discussions, our visitors were treated to a tour of Franklin Park, where they witnessed the real-life impact of our work. They experienced firsthand the vibrant spirit of the community and the improvements that have already begun to take shape.

The day culminated with some of our visitors joining the local residents at the park’s Farewell to Summer Party that evening. It was a joyful celebration, filled with games, food, and family fun, offering a perfect way to wrap up the visit. Sharing in this festive event gave our BUILD Health Challenge partners a unique opportunity to connect directly with the Franklin Park community, reinforcing the sense of unity and collective purpose behind this important work.

We are excited to continue building on the progress we’ve made with our partners and the community, working toward a healthier future for Franklin Park. Together, we are making a lasting difference.

3S33d_admin October 10th, 2024

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2024 Donley Awards & Gala: A Night of Celebration & Impact

The 2024 Annual Donley Awards and Gala was an unforgettable evening, shining a spotlight on the extraordinary contributions of this year’s honorees. We were privileged to celebrate four remarkable individuals who have dedicated their time, energy, and passion to improving the lives of children and families throughout our community. This year’s Donley Award recipients—Pastors Phillip and Kristina Davis, Dr. Nathan Hagstrom, Mr. John Diamant, and Ms. Nancy Dischinat—embody the spirit of service and commitment that the award represents.

Pastors Phillip and Kristina Davis were honored for their community impact in creating safe and nurturing spaces for children to grow and thrive. Dr. Nathan Hagstrom’s work as a pediatric oncologist at Lehigh Valley Health Network has provided hope and healing to countless young patients and their families. Mr. John Diamant’s leadership and long-standing support of educational initiatives have empowered children to succeed in school and beyond. Ms. Nancy Dischinat’s dedication to workforce development has helped ensure that families in our region have access to vital resources and opportunities for advancement.

With over 180 attendees gathered to celebrate these incredible individuals, the evening was filled with heartfelt stories, inspiration, and a shared commitment to the betterment of our community. Guests enjoyed a beautiful evening of dining, networking, and honoring the positive change our winners have brought to the Lehigh Valley.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all those who made this night possible, including our generous sponsors and supporters. A special thank you to AirProducts, whose role as the Donley Award Sponsor ensured the success of this meaningful event. We are truly grateful for the ongoing support that allows us to continue our mission of helping children and families thrive.

We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Northampton Country Club for hosting us and to Colleen for being such a pleasure to work with throughout the planning process. Your attention to detail and dedication helped make the evening truly special.

This year’s gala was a powerful reminder of the collective strength of our community and the many ways we can come together to uplift the lives of those who need it most. We look forward to continuing this work with the support of such dedicated partners and advocates.

3S33d_admin October 10th, 2024

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Community Services for Children welcomes Anize Appel and Megan Wukitsch to the Board of Directors

Community Services for Children is thrilled to announce that we have two new Board Members who have joined our team of dedicated, impressive individuals who continuously contribute to the betterment of CSC. We are excited and honored to welcome Anize Appel and Megan Wukitsch to our Board of Directors.

Anize is currently working for Moravian University as the Executive Director for the Center for Global Education, and Associate Dean for Study Abroad. She attended Moravian University where she received her Master of Business Administration. She also has a Master of Education in Elementary Education from Cedar Crest College and received her Doctor of Education in Administrative Leadership from Drexel University.  She attended Fordham University for her undergraduate degree and received a Bachelor of Arts in Natural Science. She can speak five different languages and has her Pennsylvania Department of Education Private School Certification.

Megan is a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for The Children’s Clinic Valley Health Partners and a professor for pediatrics in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at De Sales University.  She attended the University of Pennsylvania where she received a Master of Science in Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.  She attended De Sales University for her undergraduate degree and received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.  She is currently attending De Sales University for her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

Together, the board is tasked with guiding CSC into a prosperous future, supporting decisions big and small. There is no doubt that CSC will be stronger and wiser with the expertise, leadership, and skills of our newest members. We look forward to serving together as we prepare young children and their families to succeed in learning and life.

Please join us in welcoming Anize and Megan to our Board of Directors!

Nadine Slifka September 27th, 2024

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Community Services for Children welcomes Michael Desiante to the Board of Directors

Community Services for Children is thrilled to announce that a new Board Member has joined our team of dedicated, impressive individuals who continuously contribute to the betterment of CSC. We are excited and honored to welcome Michael Desiante to our Board of Directors.

Michael is currently working for KPMG, LLP as a Senior Tax Manager. He attended Villanova University where he received his Master of Taxation. He attended Kutztown University for his undergraduate degree and received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting.

Michael is a Certified Public Accountant. He received the PICPA Young Leaders Award and the Robert Weiss CPA Memorial Award for Excellence in Tax Studies.

Together, the board is tasked with guiding CSC into a prosperous future, supporting decisions big and small. There is no doubt that CSC will be stronger and wiser with the expertise, leadership, and skill of our newest member. We look forward to serving together as we prepare young children and their families to succeed in learning and life. Please join us in welcoming Michael Desiante to our Board of Directors!

Nadine Slifka March 22nd, 2024

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Rep. Susan Wild Hosts Roundtable to Discuss Need to Pass Supplemental Child Care Funding

BETHLEHEM, P.A. – Today, Congresswoman Susan Wild joined child care providers and parents at the Greater Valley YMCA, Bethlehem Branch for a roundtable discussion on what a lapse in child care funding would mean for them.

“Hearing the stories of child care providers and parents reinforces what I’ve said time and time again – that high-quality, affordable child care is necessary economic infrastructure for working families to reach their full economic potential,” said Congresswoman Susan Wild. “We must extend key child care funding, so care centers can stay open, providers can earn fair wages, and families can access the care they depend on.”

“The emergency funding from the American Rescue Plan helped stabilize the child care sector by providing foundational support to keep programs open, maintain staffing levels, and make sure programs remain affordable for families,” said Crystal Messer, Vice President of Child Care for the Greater Valley YMCA. “As programs spend down their last remaining stabilization dollars, child care providers like the Y will be challenged to continue meeting the needs of our Valley families while still experiencing staffing shortages and increased demand for services.”

“The supplemental funding proposed for child care would mean so much to the sectors’ infrastructure, accessibility and affordability for families and the healthy development of our youngest learners,” said Kimberly Early, Senior Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC). “With child care programs continuing to close altogether or closing classrooms because of the staffing crisis, the infusion of federal dollars would help support a system that operates on razor thin margins. Additional funding is critical to addressing the constriction of child care options for working families, allowing them to work and ultimately improving our overall economy.”

“I hope the supplemental funding being proposed will help centers open in child care deserts like Bath so families like mine can have child care options closer to home and businesses can benefit from my expertise,” said Cleo Otero of Bath, a mother of four who lost access to child care due to staffing shortages. “I want to thank Representative Wild for giving me the time to speak today and I want to urge our federal legislators to do all they can to support child care.”

“High quality child care is critical to a vibrant economy and community. Providing safe and nurturing environments for children while their parents are at work is essential,” said Pam Cho, Vice President of Early Learning Resource Centers at Community Services for Children. If families are unable to find and/or afford high-quality child care, they are faced with the difficult choice of exiting the workforce or placing their children in potentially precarious care arrangements. Now, more than ever before, funding is needed to stabilize the workforce behind the workforce – to ensure affordable high-quality care options for all families with young children.”

“Early childhood education is paramount. The YMCA helped me with preschool years with all of my kids and they really even teach me so much as a parent,” said Melinda Wood, a mother of three from Bethlehem. “Seven years ago, the rent was $1000 cheaper than it is now. I love nursing. I want to work. I couldn’t do child care without the YMCA and without the funding they help me with.”

Roundtable participants discussed the impact access to affordable child care has on their lives. One participant shared that there have been times when her entire paycheck went to child care, but her family could not afford to have her stay home and be a single income household. Another spoke about how she had to leave the workforce due to her inability to find adequate care for her children.

Providers discussed the impact of the pandemic and expiring child care funds on recruiting and retaining staff. They shared that they are currently experiencing staff leaving to pursue higher paying roles in order to support their own families. Not only does this exacerbate the shortage, they explained, but it also reduces the number of experienced mentors for newer staff to learn from. They also spoke about the lack of facilities with adequate space to put children.

At the end of September, key child care funding from the American Rescue Plan expired, leaving providers and parents struggling to make ends meet. Last Wednesday, the White House requested Congress pass $16 billion in supplemental funding to extend these child care grants for an additional year. This supplemental funding would bring $504 million to Pennsylvania, impacting approximately 7,000 providers that serve 375,900 children. Congresswoman Wild is pushing to pass this supplemental request, to ensure that child care centers in Pennsylvania and across the country can stay open and continue to serve working families.

3S33d_admin November 1st, 2023

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Congratulations to our 2023 Donley Award Recipients!

We would like to give a big congratulations to this year’s Donley Award Winners, Jane Ervin and Edward F. Meehan, MPH. Their dedication to early childhood education has made a difference to young children and families throughout the Lehigh Valley. We are forever grateful for the impact they have made on our community.

3S33d_admin October 31st, 2023

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Join us for our Project Child Forum

Join us November 15, 1 – 3 pm, at Community Services for Children’s Training Institute (1520 Hanover Ave., Allentown, PA 18109). We will be joined by guest speaker Katie Fries, LCSW, RPT, CCTP.

Cost breakdown is as follows:
$10 – No CEs
$25 – CEs- NASW Members
$35 – CEs- NASW Non-members

NASW-PA Chapter is a co-sponsor of this workshop. Two CEs will be awarded for completion of this course. NASW has been designated as a pre-approved provider of professional continuing education for social workers (Section 47.36), Marriage and Family Therapist (Section 48.36) and Professional Counselors (Section 49.36) by the PA State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors.

Please RSVP by November 1, 2023

3S33d_admin October 23rd, 2023

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Welcome Newest Board Members!

CSC is thrilled to announce that four new board members have joined our team of dedicated, impressive individuals who continuously contribute to the betterment of CSC. We are excited to welcome: Julia Jurkiewicz, Administrator of Population Health at Valley Health Partners; Noah Simmons, Chief Financial Officer at Agape Human Services and Director of Operations at Greater Shiloh Church in Easton; Elizabeth Strong- master stylist, artist, and owner of the Elizabeth Anthony’s Salon in Allentown; and Sophia Estrella, a career and business coach and consultant/owner of Kingdom Business Ownership, and a crisis worker at St. Luke’s Hospital Network. Together, the board is tasked with guiding CSC into a prosperous future, supporting decisions big and small. There is no doubt that CSC will be stronger and wiser with the expertise, leadership and skill from our newest members. We look forward to serving together as we prepare young children and their families to succeed in learning and life. Please join us in welcoming our newest members!

Julia Jurkiewicz

Noah Simmons

Elizabeth Strong

Sophia Estrella

3S33d_admin August 9th, 2023

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