Children's Aid Society of Mercer County

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Children's Aid Society of Mercer County is dedicated to support and strengthen children,
families and communities by providing multiple, creative and collaborative services.  

As  we observe 130 years of providing uninterrupted services to children  and families, we celebrate. We celebrate the 18-year-old young woman who  found her forever family through our Creating Foundations mentoring  program. We celebrate the adoptive families who are receiving countless  hours of support and advocacy through Children’s Aid Society’s SWAN Post Permanency services. We celebrate the children who remain in their family home  because of the intensive therapy provided to the family through Family Focus,  our family based mental health program. We celebrate the families who  leave our support groups with an increased awareness that they are not  alone in their challenges in parenting. We celebrate the children who  are lovingly cared for, who are learning new skills and who are making  lifelong friendships during their stay at our Keystone Stars 4 Star Jumpstart day care. We celebrate the individuals that are actively working  towards self-sustainability and becoming better parents as a result  their participation in Parenting, Life Skills and Anger Management  classes through our Family Life Program.  We celebrate the families that provide loving and safe environments for children placed in their homes through our Foster Care program. We celebrate the hundreds of children that we help understand  where they came from, who they are and where they are going through SWAN Child Preparation services. We celebrate the teens that experience a sense of normalcy  and acceptance from their peers when they attend the monthly Teen Group. We celebrate the children who are now safely tucked into a new car seat through our affiliation with the Safe Kids program. We celebrate all of our funding sources who continue to  believe that we are making a difference in the community. We celebrate  all of our collaborations with numerous agencies and organizations as  together, we will make a difference. We celebrate all who donate, in all ways, to our  agency so that we can continue to “go the extra mile” for the children  and families whom we serve. We celebrate our dedicated staff who  tirelessly work to help improve the lives of children and families. We  celebrate all the children, families and agency staff who have gone  before us and paved the way so that we can continue to make a  difference.  There is so much to celebrate every day in so many ways. We  celebrate!!

Deborah Judy

Executive Director

It may be the season of ghosts and goblins; however, Christmas is on the mind of Operation Foster Smiles (OFS) and its members. Launching their Foster Care Christmas Initiative, The Marlowe Family and their amazing team of 300 people from all across the country, have been busy getting ready to boost Christmas for over 40 teens in Foster Care once again this Holiday Season. 

“In 2016 Operation Foster Smiles made its footprint on the world. Founded by myself and my husband, Don, we set out on a quest to help teenagers in our local area through providing Christmas packages to teenage kids in the foster care system. After working closely with Mercer County Children’s Aid (MCAS) for many years through the adoption of our own two kids, Aiden & Jax, we were witness to the circumstances involving kids in care. MCAS expressed that buying for the teens was a stressful time. Let’s face it, the older they get, the more expensive they get. Gone were the days of $2 whistles and $3 ping-pong-paddle boards. My husband and I knew that if we were to vocalize the need, that the public would rise to the occasion. Boy, we sure didn’t expect what was about to happen.”

Since then, The Marlowe’s have coordinated and successfully fulfilled the OFS mission by providing Christmas to nearly 100 kids! Through Bake Sales, Concerts, Donations, and other various forms of fundraising, OFS continues to put smiles on the faces of teens in Foster Care throughout the Holiday Season.

This year, OFS kicked off their campaign virtually on Thursday 10/1 with Michelle explaining the needs OFS will fulfill this holiday season! This list includes; board games, hygiene products, makeup, slippers, headphones, cologne, weighted blankets and so much more! To learn more about how you can help, visit Operation Foster Smiles on Facebook! 

Michelle left us with this beautiful quote that will explain everything you need to know about the warm hearts that are present in the Marlowe Family…

“There’s nothing quite as sweet as knowing these teens will have a happy holiday because of us. In saying that, OFS created a motto this year, one that rings true to who we are and why we do what we do. That motto is: “The greatest casualty is being forgotten.” Many of these kids are victims of situations they had nothing to do with. They’ve been tossed from home to home, often left with only strangers to care for them. Their “normal” is not our normal. They’re eager to find their place in this world and I feel, as a society, this is our chance to remind them that they are not alone.”

We can not express what OFS means to Children’s Aid Society! Thank you for the compassion you have for the young adults who are in the Foster System! You mean so much to us!