Welcome
The Board of Child Care is a human services organization that helps children. Since 1874, we have given children and their families hope for the future and power in their present lives. Today, we serve more than 1,300 people through our residential and community-based services.
Our goal is to build a bridge leading to independence, success and confidence for children facing adverse life circumstances. When they leave us, we want them prepared to meet the world and to live productive lives.
We invite you to learn more about our programs:
- Links to the left describe our core program offerings
- Schedule a tour of BCC's main campus and/or Welcome Center
- Speak to a staff member about our programs and how to get involved.
Please join us in making a difference in the lives of children and families.
What's Happening at BCC
Stories from our most recent KEYWORDS newsletter are below. You can subscribe and receive the newsletter via email each month or view it as a printable PDF.
Thank You To Our Volunteers and Donors!
You made Christmas extra special for our youth
Over the last two months, we have had many community angels representing Board of Child Care in the halls of toy stores and on the web pages of Amazon.com. To everyone who sponsored a child, cottage, or even just contributed a few dollars to their office collection, please accept our sincere and heartfelt thanks. For so many of our youth, the holiday season is a difficult one. You have really made them feel loved, cared for, and believed in.
BCC’s Baltimore staff would also like to send a special thank you to Rev. Stacey Nickerson for not only her incredible efforts in obtaining our generous gift sponsors, but also for coordinating the massive task of getting the wish lists from the kids, inventorying what was purchased or donated, and wrapping everything with her volunteer elves. Thank you Stacey for going above and beyond!
From top left to bottom right: Treatment Foster Care Christmas Party, Laurie Anne’s job has many “other duties as assigned,” Resident tries on his brand new bike, Christmas celebration in Baltimore delivered laughs and smiles all around, youth unwrap gifts in their cottages.
Caution - Black Belts in Training!
Music class using new curriculum
Teachers have long used classroom games like bingo, Jeopardy, and Wheel of Fortune to keep students engaged in learning. Dr. James Walton (Dr. Jay, as he is called by the kids at Strawbridge School), has been taking a slightly different approach with his elementary school music students this year.
"For some kids the mere satisfaction of learning music and being able to perform a more difficult piece is a reward in itself," said Dr. Jay. "But for others, you need to find a different approach so they want to learn the material."
“Imaginative and creative academic lessons are something we strive greatly for here at Strawbridge,” added Dr. Angela Chambers, Vice President of Educational Services. “Dr. Jay has done an amazing job at creating meaningful lessons while still having fun.”
Recorder Karate is a music curriculum designed to show each student his or her progress in a tangible way. The kids earn colored karate belts by playing progressively harder pieces. They start out performing "hot cross buns" to receive their white belts. Over the course of the school year, they can work all the way up to a black belt by performing "The Bird Catcher's Song" from the Magic Flute opera, by Mozart (also known as "Papagena's Song").
Dr. Jay added, "What I love about Recorder Karate is that it allows my class to learn the music at their own pace. A few have graduated onto yellow belts already, and I can see they are eager to keep going."
Dr. Jay is in his first year teaching at the Board of Child Care Strawbridge School, but has been a musician for his entire life. From Dundalk, Maryland originally, he graduated from the prestigious Peabody Conservatory with a masters in tuba performance, and went on to get his doctorate of education from Jones International University in Colorado. Prior to Strawbridge School Dr. Jay taught in Baltimore city public schools for three years, and spent two years prior to that teaching music in China. Dr. Jay has also been a member of the Baltimore brass quintet for ten years and plays - you guessed it - the tuba.
Unlikely Duo Raises Money for Board of Child Care
11 year old and 16 year old host video game tournament
It is not often you see a middle school student and a high school student join forces for charity (especially when they did not know each other beforehand). That is exactly what happened, however, when Ethan (age 11) told his mom he wanted to do something for “the kids in the group home.”
Ethan’s mom heard there was a video game club run out of the library, which is how the idea of a video game tournament was born. Dustin, age 16, and a student at North Caroline High School, was an active member of the video game club, and was happy to help recruit players for the event held at the end of October. The game of choice? Super Smash Brothers™!
With some help from the parents, the boys charged admission and a low $3 entry per game played. In total they raised over $400 for Board of Child Care’s Eastern Shore program! The money purchased new board and video games for the residences. Plans are already underway for a repeat tournament in the spring.
Many thanks Ethan and Dustin!
Auxiliary News
Thanksgiving & Christmas Drives Helped Hundreds!
The busy fall season was a huge success – thank you to every volunteer who came to help assemble the Thanksgiving boxes or worked on the Christmas Store. The Auxiliary would also like to extend a huge thank you to all the churches and Key Persons who make these events possible every year!
How does the Auxiliary store work?
The purpose of the store is to allow our youth an opportunity to purchase Christmas presents for others in their lives. Prior to arriving at the store, each youth receives a shopping sheet and they fill out whom they would like to purchase presents for. Once they arrive at the Christmas Store, they are given $5 in store credit and record each of their purchases, checking to make sure they didn’t forget anybody on their list. Most items in the store are between five and twenty-five cents, with some of the larger gift baskets priced at a dollar. All the store items are donated by United Methodist Churches from around the region!
“The store is a very special event because many of the children come through the doors not expecting to be able to buy anything,” said Julie Wernz, President of the Auxiliary. “But once they see our bargain prices, they all walk away with bags full of gifts for their families and those who are closest to them. It’s a great moment and one of my favorites each and every year.”
See the full lineup of volunteer dates online: www.boardofchildcare.org/help/auxiliary.php
Pictured above: The Baltimore Christmas store is ready for customers, the Mental Health Outpatient Clinic once again received gifts from the Auxiliary to hand out to their clients, two youth shop for items at the Auxiliary Christmas Store
