Foundation Gifts Expand Impact at Center for Children and Families

Two local foundations have made grants to support the expansion of outreach programming at the Center for Children and Families (CCF). The Rees-Jones Foundation awarded $125,000 over two years to support the expansion of the center’s Grow With Me and Play With Me programs. This grant will provide an additional staff member to increase the number of developmental screenings, referrals and early intervention services the center provides for at-risk children in the Dallas area. The Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation also made a $30,000 one-year grant to expand the Play With Me program in Pleasant Grove.  

Along with supporting at-risk children and families, these gifts will also support additional research and student training opportunities. 

“These grants add needed center staff for expansion of our outreach programming,” said Dr. Margaret Owen, director of the Center for Children and Families and the Robinson Family Professor. “They will also help expand training experiences for students and research of our faculty with underserved populations.” 

Play With Me is a playful-learning program for children up to age 3 and their parents. Conducted in weekly sessions over 12 weeks, the program served over 200 children and parents in 2022. Participating parents reported improved confidence, effectiveness and understanding of their children, with significant growth in their ability to manage parental stress and understand their child’s development. 

At CCF, investment in children and families is an impact multiplier, changing the way developmental science is studied, conducted and disseminated.

Dr. Margaret Owen, director of the Center for Children and Families and the Robinson Family Professor

The Grow With Me program provides developmental screenings for children up to age 5. Last year, CCF conducted 269 screenings, with over 65% of children scoring below developmental expectations in at least one area. These screenings help parents understand their children’s needs and allow for targeted early intervention opportunities to improve development. 

In a statement, the Rees-Jones Foundation noted the importance of supporting programs that strive to make a difference for local families. 

“The Rees-Jones Foundation is honored to support programs at the Center for Children and Families that provide important early interventions for children with developmental delays and disorders. The foundation hopes to one day see our community be a place where all children have access to high-quality therapeutic services regardless of circumstance, financial capacity or need. Programs like Grow With Me and Play With Me are helping to make this a reality for families in North Texas.”  

The funds provided by the Carl B. & Florence King Foundation will help CCF renew efforts in areas of Dallas that had been scaled back during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation has long supported early childhood development and education programs in the community to increase access to early education for families unable to afford private-pay programs and to increase the quality of early childhood programming,” said the foundation’s president, Michelle Monse. “Our 2023 grant for the Play With Me program’s return to Pleasant Grove after the pandemic aims to accomplish both of the foundation’s objectives of increasing access to and quality of programs.”