Kids First Orange County receives $15,240 from Insuring the Children

Lawrence Shoaf, grants chairman of Insuring the Children, presented a total of $15,240 to Kids First director, Gerald Klein at Insuring the Children’s board meeting earlier this summer.

Klein spent time outlining the ways the monies would be spent. He explained that the program empowers children by providing objective information and a safe place to express their feelings (anger, hurt, guilt, fear, etc.) during the restructuring of their families as a result of divorce or separation. As Klein explained, “Too often in a divorce, the children are the ones who suffer the most and are heard the least.”

Kids First is an interactive educational program designed to meet the specific needs of children whose parents are separated or divorced.

It attempts to re-focus the parents’ attention on the needs of the children in order to reduce the trauma that, if left untreated, can have long-term devastating effects. Judges, therapists and family attorneys usually recommend the program for their clients, but anyone with children separated from their other parent is encouraged to attend these informative, healing workshops. Sessions are held on Saturdays at Chapman University Smith Hall in Orange. Workshop leaders are licensed mental health
professionals, Masters Level students and graduates. Guest speakers include psychologists, court mediators, family law attorneys and judges.

It is a low cost, non-profit agency that encourages enrollment for both parents, step parents and children in divorce or separation crisis.

For more information about Kids First, contact Klein at (714) 836-1880.

Insuring the Children is an organization supported solely by individuals within the insurance industry. Throughout the year, membership dues and fund-raisers provide monies to child abuse and neglect organization throughout California. Over 95 percent of the proceeds collected from these two fund-raising events go directly into the general fund of this organization.

Since its inception in 1994, ITC has raised almost $900,000 to assist child abuse prevention centers. There are chapters
throughout California in Orange County,
Los Angeles, San Diego, and in the
Midwest. Mail can be sent to P.O. Box 264, Fullerton, Calif., 92836.

For more information about Insuring the Children or the two annual fund-raising events: the Forum in the first half of each year or the annual golf tournament in the fall, visit the Web site at www.insuringthechildren.org or call Advertising Plus at
(714) 992- 4383.