— Groundbreaking legislation will create a more equitable system for social workers in Maryland —

The Board of Child Care (BCC) today announced that its Executive Director of Maryland & DC Programs, Nicole Smith, has been recognized for her instrumental role in the creation and passage of new legislation aimed at addressing racial disparities in social work exam passing rates.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore recently signed into law a bill that will address the social worker shortage and the racial disparities in passing rates for the national exams administered by the Association of Social Work Boards. Smith and her colleagues worked closely with a group of people to challenge the inequity of the exam and advocated for the bill, HB 145, which is now law.

With the new law in place, a formal workgroup, funded by the Maryland Department of Health, will work to find an alternative to the current test due to the disparity. The results of the exam have shown that there are disparate passing rates for black and brown social workers. According to data, between 2011 and 2021 in Maryland, the first-time pass rates for white and Black test takers were 93% and 56%, respectively.

A leading voice in the call for change, Smith joined others in Annapolis who were instrumental in the bill to witness Governor Moore enact the law that will not only benefit Maryland’s social workers, but those who receive their care and services aimed at improving their improving their lives.

“This new law is a significant step towards addressing the racial disparities in social work exam passing rates, and it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Nicole Smith and her colleagues,” said Laurie Anne Spagnola, CEO of the Board of Child Care.

“Nicole’s commitment to equity and justice is inspiring, and we are incredibly proud to have her as a member of our team.”

About the Board of Child Care

The Board of Child Care is a private, 501(c)3 not-for-profit that has been serving youth and their families for over 145 years. The organization’s history is rooted in faith, with its early beginnings being several orphanages operated by the United Methodist Church throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Following several mergers, first in 1960 and another in 2019, it is known today as the Board of Child Care. With a staff of 700+, an annual budget around $50 million, and its network of partners, BCC supports communities via a national footprint of programs that extend across the Eastern half of the United States. Its broad spectrum of services to youth and their families includes residential, mental/behavioral health, trauma response, family support, and education. To learn more or see how you can get involved, visit www.boardofchildcare.org

MECHANICSBURG, PA (January 2023) — The John L. and C. Jeanette Witmer Charitable Trust has awarded a special distribution grant to the Board of Child Care to support its Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) store at its Mechanicsburg campus.

The store serves as an incentive to support the behavioral, academic, social, and treatment goals of the program’s youth. The same PBIS system used by BCC in its residential program is employed by tens of thousands of schools across the United States (often operating under different names and flavors, such as ‘behavior bucks’). In general, these programs help to lower critical incidents, increase engagement, and focus on rewarding positive behavior.

BCC staff reward kids throughout the day with “BCC bucks” that they can then use to shop.  The grant funds will be used to keep the store supplied with apparel, sports equipment and games, and bigger ticket items like field trips and other special interest activities.

“The stores are important components of our residential program, and we are grateful to the John L. and C. Jeanette Witmer Charitable Trust for the generous support,” said Laurie Anne Spagnola, BCC president & CEO.

“This system has been proven to improve social emotional competence and academic success, improve engagement, and actually also improve relationships between the caregivers and kids.”

PBIS is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health of our residential youth. PBIS has been proven to improve social emotional competence and academic success, as well as the health and wellbeing of caregivers. It is a way to create positive, predictable, equitable and safe learning and living environments where everyone thrives. Thank you to the John L. and C. Jeanette Witmer Charitable Trust for their extraordinary support!

We use PBIS across our residential locations. Want to help? We are always accepting contributions or donations of commonly used store items.

More info here:

PBIS Incentive Stores

About the Board of Child Care

The Board of Child Care is a private, 501(c)3 not-for-profit that has been serving youth and their families for over 145 years. The organization’s history is rooted in faith, with its early beginnings being several orphanages operated by the United Methodist Church throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Following several mergers, first in 1960 and another in 2019, it is known today as the Board of Child Care. With a staff of 700+, an annual budget around $50 million, and its network of partners, BCC supports communities via a national footprint of programs that extend across the Eastern half of the United States. Its broad spectrum of services to youth and their families include residential, mental/behavioral health, trauma response, family support, and education. To learn more or see how you can get involved, visit boardofchildcare.org.

MECHANICSBURG, PA (January 2023) — The Greater Harrisburg Community Foundation has awarded a grant to the Board of Child Care to sponsor the Strengthening Families Program in Central Pennsylvania.

The Strengthening Families Program – a partnership between Cumberland County Drug and Alcohol Commission, Dickinson College, and Board of Child Care – is a free, community-based, family-friendly prevention program available to families in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, and surrounding communities.

The program provides families with enhanced parenting techniques to build transformative generational life skill changes that strengthen family bonds. This is achieved by working with parents on their parenting skills and helping youth (ages 10-14) with decision-making, life skills, conflict resolution, and peer pressure.

Participants meet one evening each week for seven weeks, beginning with a group meal. Facilitators meet separately with parents and youth to work on specific topics ranging from coping skills to goal setting, conflict resolution, empathy, understanding developmental changes, avoiding substance abuse, and ways to show love and support. Then, participants reconnect, talk about the new skills they learned, and practice decision-making and joint problem-solving skills through role-playing.

“This program provides the tools, language, and safe environment families need to rebuild positive relationships,” said Laurie Anne Spagnola, BCC President and CEO.

“We are so excited to partner with Cumberland County Drug and Alcohol Commission and Dickinson College to bring this program back as an offering to the community in Central PA and we are grateful to the Greater Harrisburg Community Foundation for helping to make it possible.”

About the Board of Child Care

The Board of Child Care is a private, 501(c)3 not-for-profit that has been serving youth and their families for over 145 years. The organization’s history is rooted in faith, with its early beginnings being several orphanages operated by the United Methodist Church throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Following several mergers, first in 1960 and another in 2019, it is known today as the Board of Child Care. With a staff of 700+, an annual budget around $50 million, and its network of partners, BCC supports communities via a national footprint of programs that extend across the Eastern half of the United States. Its broad spectrum of services to youth and their families include residential, mental/behavioral health, trauma response, family support, and education. To learn more or see how you can get involved, visit boardofchildcare.org.