Press Release
For Immediate Release
The Children's Place Increases Year-Round Efforts to Promote Sun Safety
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WATERVILLE, Maine - Sun exposure can be very dangerous for young children during the summer, so as the school year begins, The Children's Place in Waterville is educating children and families that exposure to the sun is a year-round concern. The Maine Center for Disease Control and the Maine Cancer Consortium have teamed up to provide a $1,000 mini-grant to support The Children's Place and their efforts to protect children from the sun.
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The $1,000 grant was used recentlyto help build a sun shelter on The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers campus to protect the children from harmful UV rays. The shelter will create a sun-safe environment for young children, while playing or participating in activities outdoors.
"Cindy Manson our program director at The Children's Place recently attended the 2011 Sun Block Program Training and has brought back the latest information and resources to help children and families develop healthy, life-long skin protection habits. As we have emphasized at our agency for over 111 years, there is nothing more important to us than the safety of the children," said Sharon Abrams, executive director of The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers.
The sun shelter was made possible with the help of donations of both time and services from the local community, including seven construction companies. Cianbro fabricated and delivered the steel, Stanley's Septic Service and Construction donated all excavation work, Mark Winters of HT Winters served as the voluntary clerk of the works. Cormier Foundations, Ferraiolo Corporation and Hammond Lumber provided service and materials at a discounted price. Craig Shores and Ron Prinsic also donated time to the construction. The project was coordinated by David Hatt, maintenance manager and Steve Mayberry, development director at The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers. With their outreach and support from the community, the sun shelter - valued at over $25,000 - cost just under $6,000.
As part of the recent educational efforts, The Children's Place has expanded their sun safety policy, trained staff, developed curricula and educated families about the year-round importance of sun safety for young children through adolescence.
Click here to read The Children's Place 2011 Sun Safety Policy
The purpose of the grant was to give a childcare provider, such as The Children's Place, the opportunity to support the integration of skin protection education into early childhood curricula, practice sun safety within childcare centers and create sun-safe outdoor environments for the children of Maine. The Children's Place provides quality early care and education for children 6 weeks to age 5.
Representatives from The Children's Place and The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers are available for interviews about the new Sun Safety program. To arrange, contact Greg Glynn at 207-620-9076.
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About The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers
The Maine Children's Home, a full Hague-accredited adoption program, provides assistance to families hoping to adopt internationally or domestically. The Maine Children's Home, founded in 1899, gives children and Maine families hope for the future and a chance at a better life. In addition to the adoption program, the agency offers outpatient counseling, the Teen Parent School Program, The Children's Place early care and education center, a summer camp scholarship program, and a Christmas Program that provides clothing and toys to underprivileged Maine children. To learn more, visit www.mainechildrenshome.org .
