Champions for Children’s Mental Health will hold their 10 Year Champion Family Reunion in Bicentennial Park on Saturday, September 26 from Noon until 4 PM. All are welcome to attend the event.
“Wondering what to expect at the Champion’s Family Reunion?” a social media post about the event read. “We’ve got you! And if bringing your child out to a community event that makes you a little anxious, we want you to know something important – you don’t have to do it alone.”
According to the organization, the family reunion is designed to be a come-as-you-are day with a lot of fun and excitement, yet there is absolutely no expectation that families must participate in everything. There will be music and a DJ, food trucks, local vendors, community resources, family yard games, activities for children, slingshots, Can-Ams and Vanderhails.
“Our Champions Family Tree will be there, and we plan to take a big family photo,” the organization said. “Bring a chair or a blanket as there will be a lot going on, but we want families to have a comfortable place to sit, take a break, eat or simply watch the fun. No one has to stay the entire time. You can come for an hour, stay the entire day, leave and return, whatever works for your family.”
Champions for Children’s Mental Health asked parents to follow the lead of their children and, if they want to play, allow them to play. If they need a quiet moment, let them take one. If they aren’t ready to participate, they do not have to. Parents should also bring what makes their child comfortable, whether it is headphones, comfort items, snacks, water bottles, sensory supports, a favorite toy or anything that makes the child comfortable.
Volunteers will be on hand to help families as well, whether it is carrying things, taking food back to a picnic spot, holding a little one for a bit or finding something. The Champions Family Tree is for everyone, so add a handprint, take a photo, play a game, grab some food and check out the vendors. There will be opportunities to chat with other families or just sit on the blanket or chair and relax.
Champions for Children’s Mental Health opened in 2022 in the Milford Wellness Village. The organization began as a mother’s effort to get help for her children. At the time, there were no services for children under school age and Barbara Messick was basically a prisoner in her home as she could not take her son to daycare, to a store or anywhere else.
After the state got a grant to treat children under seven who had demonstrated mental illness, Messick and her family were one of the first to get home-based parent-child interaction therapy. That started her journey to child mental health and became an advocate for the program. She saw firsthand how it helped her child as sitting in an office, her son could behave perfectly, but when they were at home, there were distractions that led to misbehavior. With in-home therapy, the therapist not only worked with her son, but with her, her husband and her other children. After graduating from the program, Messick was able to take her family to Disneyworld, something she could never have done before the therapy.
The family was such a success story, Messick was asked to share her success. Although she was not fond of public speaking, she told her story several times. The state offered her a contract to work with families in similar situations and she accepted. Eventually, Messick was asked to start a program in Delaware for children with mental health disorders and Champions for Children’s Mental Health was born.
To learn more about Champions for Children’s Mental Health, contact them at 302-724-7229 or visit their website.
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