Most of us remember our mothers telling us to eat our breakfasts before school so we would be ready to learn.We know that hunger affects our ability to think and act.

 

For too many children in New Hampshire, hunger is a way of life. In Manchester alone, half of all school-aged children are eligible for free or reduced lunch, but nutrition isnt the only challenge these children face.They are more likely to live in substandard housing, to lack opportunities for enrichment, and to struggle in school.

 

Child Health Services knows all too well the challenges these children face.For over thirty years, it has provided comprehensive medical, nutrition, social, behavioral, and mental health services to children from low-income families.Its Special Medical Programs provide extensive services for promoting the development of vulnerable children with special medical needs.

 

On May 1^st, 2013, Dr. Janina Galler, Senior Scientist at the Judge Baker ChildrenҒs Center, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Barbados Nutrition Study, will address The Legacy of Childhood AdversityӔ at Child Health Services annual breakfast, Morning Matters.The speech will illustrate the lifelong impact of childhood poverty on health, brain, and behavioral development.

 

Morning Matters is dedicated to the memory of May Sidore Gruber, a long-time supporter of Child Health Services, who passed away recently.  It promises to be a stimulating gathering of business and non-profit leaders, government officials, educators, and community members. The event is sponsored by The Harbor Group and Dartmouth Hitchcock Җ Manchester, with support from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Associated Grocers of New England, Granite Group Benefits, Merchants Automotive Group, Rehabilitation Equipment Associates, and numerous businesses and individuals. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

 

The breakfast generates vital revenue to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged children and teens.Please join us for Morning Matters on Wednesday, May 1^st, 2013, from 7:30 to 9:00am at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire.Reservations are required.Please call 668-6629 to RSVP. 

Funded under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, local PREP initiatives are a key element of the multi-pronged federal strategy to educate adolescents and young adults to reduce teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

After a length and rigorous review process, Child Health Services has received accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home.