Playground to help children heal through play while reunifying with families at The Village
Manchester, Conn. When children who are in DCF custody are working to reunify with their families at The Village for Families & Children’s innovative Quality Parenting Center (QPC), they will now be able to enjoy a new playground during supervised visits thanks to the generosity of donors from the Magrieta L. and Sherwood S. Willard Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and former representatives from the Timken Foundation of Canton.
The Village held a special ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the new playscape and honor those who made the project possible.
“This new playground is going to make a world of difference for families visiting us at the QPC, who have already been through so much,” said Village President and CEO Galo Rodriguez. “Now when children are here, they can play outside, make important, positive memories with their loved ones and just be kids.”
The Village opened the QPC in 2021 in partnership with Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) to provide a comfortable, home-like setting where families can spend quality time while they’re not currently living together and receive the support they need as they work on reunification. Equipped with a full kitchen to share meals, comfortable couches, toys and an ample library of children’s books, the QPC provides a comforting environment meant to ease some of the stress families may experience on their journey to reunify.
Through the QPC, families also have access to The Village’s full range of services they may need, including trained parent coaches, mental health support, substance use/recovery support, financial and career coaching and more.
“Alongside our partners at DCF, The Village is committed to helping reunite children with their families when it’s possible and ensuring that families have the support they need to heal and grow together,” Rodriguez said. “Reunification makes a lasting difference for both children and the community, and that’s what the QPC is all about. It’s an extension of our mission to build a community of strong, healthy families who protect and nurture children.”
The QPC is just one of the ways The Village helps children reunite with families. Also in partnership with DCF, The Village operates the largest foster care program in the state, and also runs a Fatherhood Engagement program that helps dads reunite with their children.
(Pictured above L-R) Village VP of Child Welfare Sandy Kyriakopoulos; Troop 27 Scout Sean Chapman, who built new benches and a path for the playground; Village COO Hector Glynn; Lisa Czaja, former representative from the Timken Foundation of Canton; Maggie Willard of the Magrieta L. and Sherwood S. Willard Fund, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
Contact:
Sarah Thompson, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications,
The Village for Families & Children (c) 860-751-4179, sthompson@thevillage.org
About The Village
The Village for Families & Children was one of the first agencies in the country to provide homes for neglected children. Today, The Village provides a full range of behavioral health, early and childhood youth development, substance use treatment, and support services for children, families and adults in the Greater Hartford region. Learn more at thevillage.org.