​On Wednesday, May 3rd, the Lone Star Park Annual Taste of the Derby fundraiser also marked a milestone in giving for the 15 year old foundation. Children First was among 3 Grand Prairie charities who each received $1,000 that evening which officially put the LSP Charitable Foundation in to the 7-digit category. The foundation has been a faithful contributor to organizations such as Children First Counseling Center, making the quality of life better for Grand Prairie citizens. Executive Director Darcy Harris (4th from right) gratefully accepted the check, feeling blessed to be among representatives of other worthy charitable organizations. Children First, originally founded in 1977 as Family Outreach, is marking an historic milestone this year also, celebrating 40 years of making children emotionally healthier and physically safer.

Summertime often means more alone time for kids while parents are gone to work. This article from NBC, highlights some things to make our kids aware of should they encounter trouble when you are gone.

Here are a few other ideas:

Have a fire safety plan and practice it.​

• Have a family meeting to discuss safety tips for things like answering the door when you aren’t home or reentering the house. Let the kids participate and brainstorm rules and ideas for when you are gone.
• Make sure younger children know their full name, address, and a phone number to reach you.
• Remind your child to check doors and windows to make sure they are locked.
• Check in with your children frequently to make sure everything is going well.
• Make sure they know to never post on social media that they are home alone.
• Have a designated “go to” place should your child need to leave the home in an emergency.
• Keep a fully stocked first aid kit and teach them how to perform basic first aid.
• And finally, leave them some kind of schedule so they don’t get bored and become tempted to do something they shouldn’t.

Even though there are no laws about leaving children home alone. Be aware of the dangers and make sure your children are old enough to make good decisions in your absence.

Talk openly with your child about fears they may have about being home alone. Remember that it is normal for children ages 7-12 to begin to have fears related to “real-life incidents. Reassure your child and let them know that having a plan in place is only a precaution.

Dallas Children’s Charities recently delivered checks to Children First Counseling Center and Grand Prairie United Charities to help the non-profit organizations’ mission to provide assistance to children in Grand Prairie.

Children First is dedicated to providing for the mental health needs of children, adolescents and adults through education and counseling with emphasis on the prevention of and recovery from abuse, neglect, and victimization.

Founded in 1955, Grand Prairie United Charities provides prompt intervention in the form of emergency assistance to ward off a potential crisis and prevent families or individuals from being without shelter, food or utilities.
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Dallas Children’s Charities is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1977 that serves community groups that work with underprivileged children.
 
Representing Children First in the photo: (L-R) Deborah Hepworth, Steve Adams, Mildred Walker, Darcy Harris, Richard Whitman and Roy Whitfill