The Asian American Center of Frederick received $150,000 last week for new programs to help prevent child abuse.
The Maryland Family Network, a state nonprofit that provides resources to young children and their families, awarded over $1.8 million to 12 organizations to help support families and prevent or reduce child maltreatment, a news release said.
The Asian American Center of Frederick, a nonprofit that helps minorities and immigrants in Frederick become independent and successful, was one of those 12 organizations.
Elizabeth Chung, the center’s executive director, said Monday that grant money will help with new programs in the nonprofit’s Family Support Services.
Family Support Services has offered early childhood education for children up to 4 years old and their families for about a year. It moved to a new building in the summer.
The money is expected to be used for financial education, community-based education, nurturing parenting and infant massages.
One program lasting about three months will offer different dates for classes during the week, Chung said.
While some classes may not seem related to reducing child abuse, Chung said, they all serve a purpose in that mission.
“Particularly for new parents, we have anxiety, we are inexperienced, we want to do something with our child, but we may not know how to deliver, how to respond, how to talk to them, how to verbalize, so doing those very early on, after birth, we want to take every opportunity to educate our parents about parenting skills,” she said.
Even classes about infant massages can help parents bond with their child and learn verbal and nonverbal cues, she said. They also tie into the idea of nurturing parenting.
The classes line up with the Maryland Family Network’s stated mission to educate parents, present positive parenting…
