Message from the Director
Dear Friends,
Welcome to The Family Tree’s new website. Visiting us may mean that you are a supporter of Maryland’s premier organization dedicated to improving our community by providing families with proven solutions to prevent child abuse and neglect. Or, maybe you are simply browsing, eager to identify new resources for you and your family. Regardless of the reason, we hope this site is a resource that you will return to frequently.
These are challenging times; the recent economic downturn has affected both Wall Street and Main Street. However, the decline could prompt the opportunity to rethink our priorities and renew a deeper sense of community.
In child abuse prevention practices across Maryland, we hope to seize this crisis as a critical moment when our responsibility to future generations is answered. This particular time could afford an opportunity to reshape priorities with child well being emerging as a top concern. Hand in hand with any concern for children, is an equally important resolve and that is to provide resources that prevents child abuse before it occurs. The cost benefit consideration alone is a compelling case move towards the prevention of child abuse. With the recent spending figures for Maryland at $2 billion annually for direct and indirect costs associated with child maltreatment, the time has come for a more humane and economic approach to eradicate child abuse.
‘The way to the future must be opened today’ rightly captures The Family Tree’s multi-year innovative strategic prevention plan. This prevention plan steps up The Family Tree’s role to one of facilitator and proposes to launch a virtual Center of Prevention. The model draws upon the strengths, interests, skills, and commitment of the private and government sector partnerships across seven multi-disciplinary influencers essential to child well being in critical regions throughout Maryland.
In the choices you have over the next months, you likely will renew those commitments that are most important to you. Hopefully, you will make children a top priority and also get to know us at The Family Tree. Evidence is conclusive: the government can not prevent child abuse alone. Rather, we all have a new role to play in preventing child abuse and strengthening families. We hope you will find something on this site that interests you and compels you to revisit. We invite you to get to know The Family Tree programs, come visit us, meet our staff and volunteers. Help make children a top priority and envision a time when all children thrive in nurturing families capable of becoming productive adults. That’s our vision!
These are special times: if only we seize the opportunity.
Patricia K. Cronin, LCSW-C
Executive Director
410-889-2300
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