Children’s Home + Aid Jazz on the Rock fund-raiser June 18

From press release

Children’s Home + Aid’s Northern Regional Board presents “Let’s Jazz It Up…For the Life of a Child” as the theme for the annual Jazz on the Rock fund-raising event to raise funds for the Pregnancy and Early Parent Counseling, Early Prevention in the Community, and Adoptive Families Together programs.

“This event is critical to the success of these programs since there have been so many state budget cuts,” said Chuck Hansel, Northern Regional Board member and event co-chairman.

Jazz on the Rock will be held at the Rockford Country Club, 2500 Oxford St., Friday, June 18. The event will begin with a cash bar opening at 6:30 p.m. and dinner being served at 7 p.m. Several menu choices include Filet Mignon and Hazelnut Crusted Trout. Guests will enjoy a silent auction and a live auction hosted by the well-known auctioneer, O.D. Holly.

Entertainment for the evening is “Jack Brand and All That Jazz” with emcees Dr. Robert Head, president of Rockford College, and Sylvia Waldsmith of WNTA radio. Honorary chairman of the event is Brad Stein of U.S. Cellular’s Information Systems Department. Tickets are $70 per person.

The Pregnancy and Early Parent Counseling program offers services free of charge and provides birth parent counseling, and referral services to local resources for families experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. The program also offers the adoption option as a positive alternative when parents feel they can’t raise their child.

The Early Prevention in the Community program works with first through third grade children who have a mental health diagnosis. Children are referred to the program by their teachers. It is provided to families on a voluntary basis. Many of the children in this program have experienced domestic violence, many of them suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and some witness crime and violence on a daily basis. This program helps the children develop socialization skills, learn non-violent conflict resolution, as well as gaining self-respect and respect for others.

The Adoptive Families Together program works to build strong parent relationships in families where children have been adopted through the child welfare system. The program provides expense-free retreats, where adoptive parents learn the art of communicating effectively, expressing their emotions and how to make time for each other. The goal is to strengthen the marriage and keep adoptive families together.

According to Stephen Balsley, event co-chairman: “The funds raised will help to balance the end-of-year budget for these three programs. As board members, we work hard to raise funds to keep programs alive and well. At the same time, we concentrate on making the events both fun and informative. Once you understand the impact these services have on the community, it makes you want to work even harder to get more individuals involved.”

Children’s Home + Aid is a leading child and family service agency in Illinois. Each year, it protects, educates and counsels more than 40,000 children, youth and families to improve their lives. Since 1883, Children’s Home + Aid has been a compassionate advocate helping to shape public policy in child welfare, early childhood and juvenile justice. Children’s Home + Aid is recognized for establishing best practices and achieving outstanding results through its programs and services that focus on child abuse prevention, healthy child development and strengthening families.

With headquarters in Rockford, the Northern Region of Children’s Home + Aid is devoted to serving the area’s most challenged communities. The Northern Region of Children’s Home + Aid provides services in Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, DeKalb, Lee, Whiteside, Carroll, Stephenson and Jo Daviess counties.

Services encompass the needs of the entire family, and include Adoption and Guardianship Preservation, MotherHouse Crisis Nursery, Pregnancy and Early Parent Counseling, Healthy Families Illinois, foster care and family support services. Children’s Home + Aid’s comprehensive, quality programs help children and families overcome the obstacles of poverty, abuse and neglect to achieve healthy family structures and self-sufficiency.

For more information about Jazz on the Rock, call (815) 962-1043 or visit www.cha.org/northern.