Idaho Children's Trust Fund

The Idaho Children's Trust Fund/Prevent Child Abuse Idaho provides funding, trains and provides technical assistance to community based programs working to strengthen families in order to prevent child abuse and neglect in Idaho.

A New Monthly Feature for Parents and Parent Educators:

Parent Talk

with child development specialist, Carolyn Kiefer, MS

Parent Talk Archive>>

Building Community to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

A Project of Our Kids Our Business, Treasure Valley

In response to the unprecedented outpouring of community support in the days following the disappearance of 8 year old Robert Manwill this summer, a new initiative called Our Kids: Our Business is being formed in the Treasure Valley to protect and nurture our community’s children.

Our Kids: Our Business is kicking off a campaign to strengthen our families and communities throughout the Treasure Valley. Our Kids: Our Business plans to sponsor and encourage a variety of activities that will help us to know our neighbors better, learn how we can help each other out in times of need, and engage people in a dialogue about how we can build a community which works for and supports families with children. Based on the commitments we make together as a community, we will then take action to strengthen our neighborhoods.

As a first action in this initiative, Our Kids: Our Business called upon our communities to “Say Hello on Halloween.” The idea is that as children and their parents were out trick or treating, they used that opportunity to get to know their neighbors. Our Kids: Our Business is also asking each one of us get to know the names of the children in our neighborhood. Get to know their parents. The Say Hello on Halloween campaign was a great success. Take a look at the great media coverage that helped spread the word:

www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/956067.html www.kivitv.com/global/story.asp?s=11410990 www.2news.tv/news/local/65757122.html www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/10918-2

We do not want to lose another child. We believe that building strong families and strong communities is the way to prevent abuse of children. We also believe that strong families and communities will help all of our families and children thrive.

Our Kids: Our Business in the Treasure Valley is being modeled after an effort by the same name in Spokane and northern Idaho that was started several years ago to respond to another tragic childhood death by abuse in Spokane. This initiative asks the community to take specific action in support of five promises to children.

All children will have access to:

Caring adults;
Safe places and constructive activities;
A healthy start and future;
Effective education; and
Opportunities to serve.

For more information contact: Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, 386-9317 or e-mail hansenm2@dhw.idaho.gov.

Flu Talk for Parents

There are things you can do to protect yourself and your child from getting and spreading the flu.

• Get your child a seasonal flu and an H1N1 shot or nasal spray vaccine
• When you cough or sneeze cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash right away
• If you do not have a tissue cough or sneeze into your arm — not your hand
• Stay away from people who are sick
• Wash your hands a lot with soap and water

Click here to find our more>>

Supporting the ICTF

Donating to Children’s Trust Fund: The Easiest and Most Effective Donation You Will Make All Year.

View PSA

You can support the work of the Idaho Children's Trust Fund by donating on your Idaho State Income Tax form, or mailing a check to P.O. Box 2015, Boise, ID 83701, you can also donate to the Idaho Children's Trust Fund on-line!. Your donation is tax deductible. Thank you.

The Idaho Children's Trust Fund is the state affiliate of Prevent Child Abuse America

Contact us using Free Text Relay

What is Text Relay? Text Relay is a federally funded and regulated service designed to make it easy for people with hearing loss or speech disabilities to place phone calls.

Parent Talk:

Travels with Young Children
Thanksgiving and Christmas travels can be stressful but planning makes a difference

During a recent cross country trip I had the opportunity to observe some children and families. Airports are particularly challenging to little ones and parents: crowds, hurrying/waiting, anticipation and hauling “the stuff “children require. Number of children to parents, ages, strength, calmness and distances really count! The reasons for travel, family emergency or vacation, also impact parents and children.

I saw a mom who was relaxed and skilled with her 3 kids. She was feeding the 9 month old, talking with the 2 year old who was “doing tricks” on the waiting room seats and the 4 year old who was between looking at a book and teasing the 2 year old. She had some clear limits and a quick laugh. The full evening flight between Chicago and Denver had a couple of parents near the galley, calmly doing the standing jiggle-sway with babies, close comforting, kisses and pats to coax sleep. There was also a tiny baby who cried for most of an hour with a harried young mother surrounded by unsympathetic people.

Travel is yet another time when it is important to know your child, to be “tuned-in” to how they react to newness and change. Several temperament traits (those “hard wired” personal traits) in the child and parent come into play when traveling:

-Activity level, how much need to wiggle and move -Adaptability: how easily can s/he change schedules and routines (sleep, food newness)
-Approach/Withdrawal: reaction to new people, places, activities -Intensity of Reaction: how strong or mild are positive and negative reactions (big laughs/crying to mild fussing)

Parents who understand their child’s temperament are ready to offer the emotional supports which make traveling and newness easier to handle and more enjoyable.
Click here to read more>>

Parent Talk Archive>>

Report: Five US children die every day from abuse

CDAPress.com Posted: Tuesday, Oct 20, 2009 - 11:27:40 pm PDT
By ALECIA WARREN
Staff writer

SHAWN GUST/Press Shannon Cervenka, who was abused as a child, credits ICARE for helping teach her important parenting skills that benefit both her and 4-year-old daughter Julia Melvin.

ICARE classes teach proper parenting skills

Raising a little girl was a mystery to Shannon Cervenka.

Even at 4 years old, Julia was different than the boys Shannon had brought up before, with tantrums and attitude the mother couldn't control.

"I was like, 'How do I deal with her talking back to me? My boys never talked back to me,'" said Shannon, who was already struggling to piece her life back together in transitional housing in Coeur d'Alene. "Her emotions, her anger -- I thought, 'This is killing me.'"

All she knew was that she didn't want to beat her daughter the way Shannon had been by her own parents.

"I didn't know how to discipline her," Shannon said. "I knew my parents were wrong, and I wanted to do it the right way."

And after learning proper parenting skills through the ICARE children and advocacy center, she could declare this week: "I've never beat my daughter."

Click here to read the full article.

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Here’s What’s New:

Save the Date Idaho
Children’s Trust Fund Strengthening Families Training Institute March 16 & 17, 2010

Prevent Child Abuse Idaho is on Facebook
Sign up for Facebook to connect with Prevent Child Abuse Idaho.

Times-News story published at magicvalley.com Saturday, April 25, 2009 Do anything, but do something

Idaho State Journal, Sunday April 12, 2009, Healthy Living; The five factors for strengthening families

Annual Child Abuse Prevention Grants Available up to $5000. New Grant Cycle begins October 1, 2009

Hard Times Can Bring Harsh Treatment, op-ed by Roger Sherman February 2009

Trust Fund in the News Archives