In 2004, the Crow Wing County Child Protection Team netted over $34,000 from the Radiothon! Because the Team relies on volunteers and donations, this is our major fundraiser each year.

Monies from last year's proceeds were used to bring Jodi Pfarr, consultant with Dr. Ruby Payne, author of A Framework for Understanding the Culture of Poverty, to the community to speak at the St. Joseph's Foundation Symposium August 26, 2003. Her fascinating presentation to over 300 professionals working with children from the Crow Wing County area was well received.

This year the Team again partnered with St. Joseph's Foundation and the employees of St. Joseph's Medical Center, as well as parishioners from St. Francis Church, to provide over 700 Kare Kits for Kids to needy children, youth and their families in the Crow Wing County Community. These kits include items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, deodorant, hairbrushes, socks and other needed hygiene items. These kits are distributed through the Social Services, local schools, group homes for children, foster care providers, Sexual Assault Services, and the school Collaborative Service Workers. This continues to be an extremely successful and popular program.

Because Crow Wing County has a high number of children in out of home placements, the Team continued to financially support the "First Night in Care" backpack program. This program allows children of all ages and sizes to be provided with a new backpack filled with one or two new outfits, pajamas and underwear when they enter a foster care home or facility. This program has been found to be vital in lessening the fear of children, as they enter a home not familiar to them under frightening conditions.

Radiothon funds were also designated to a new and innovative basic, intensive parenting group therapy program, ParentWorks, designed for parents of children under the age of 8 years who are in an out-of-home placement through a child protection court order. Minnesota statute requires that services be provided to the parents to reunite children within six months whenever possible. If that is not possible, then the children are to be placed in a permanent setting such as an adoptive home or transfer of permanent legal custody to another relative or significant person. There was previously no such program available in Crow Wing County or the entire state of Minnesota. The use of Radiothon funds for this program very much meets the mission of providing education and therapy to families in an effort to prevent further abuse/neglect occurring with this most vulnerable population. The ParentWorks program has been found to be very successful and would not exist without the support of Radiothon funds.

Additionally, Radiothon monies were used to help support programs in Crow Wing County which serve our vulnerable child and youth populations. These programs include the Crisis Line for the teen suicide prevention program, District 182 Early Child Special Education program, Safety Town, Northern Pines Mental Health Center to help support an adolescent therapy group, Crow Wing County Foster Care Association, Car Seat and Safety training, and the Volunteer Network.

The Crow Wing County Child Protection Team is very proud of the positive impact it has made in the county. The Radiothon to End Child Abuse funds have allowed the Team to become more visible and promote awareness of child abuse on a much larger scale. The Team looks forward to working with the local schools, medical centers, law enforcement agencies, childcare agencies, and the entire Crow Wing County community in 2005-2006 to continue our mission in promoting healthy, nurturing non-violent families.

As an organization committed to bettering our community in the county in which we live, we are asking for your help to raise money to support this important mission. You can issue a challenge to your counterparts in Crow Wing, Cass, or Aitkin County to meet or beat your donation, or you may simply make a pledge or donation yourself. We would appreciate your sharing this information with others.