2009 Family Strengthening Award WinnerEl Centro Family Center
Catholic Charities, Hartford, CTCatholic Charities of Hartford’s El Centro Family Center strengthens families by encouraging children, adults, and seniors to reach their full potential. The center’s family specialists work with families that need services, support, leadership development, early childhood education, adult education and training, crisis intervention, and stabilization. 
The program seeks to help parents recognize that they are their children’s first and most important teachers, natural supporters, and most powerful advocates, and further, that they are decision makers who can have a positive impact in their families and communities. El Centro is located within a new facility that also houses the agency’s Institute for the Hispanic Family (IHF), which was founded 30 years ago to provide culturally and linguistically competent services and to meet the specific needs of low-income Latino families. El Centro offers the following: - Paraiso Infantil, a bilingual bicultural full-day school readiness program for pre-schoolers;
- The Nurturing Families Program, which provides home visits, case management, and parenting training to young new and at-risk parents;
- ESL classes;
- Child and family literacy classes;
- Parent workshops;
- Cultural events and cultural awareness training;
- Computer training;
- Job search assistance.
In addition, because of its shared location with IHF, families can seamlessly access case management, behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment, financial literacy education, workforce development and employment and basic human needs services. El Centro puts a strong emphasis on intergenerational programming, especially between Paraiso Infantil and the IHF’s Hispanic Senior Center. Intentionally building connections between children, seniors, families, and staff builds a sense of community, where people can celebrate their Hispanic culture together and gain from what each has to offer. Parents and community members act as volunteers, advisory board members, and consultants on various projects and are encouraged to make the community a better place. “We are very proud to receive a Family Strengthening Award,” said Rose Alma Senatore, executive director of Catholic Charities in Hartford. “With our new facility, we were able to expand the family center and bring senior programs, our child care services, our family center, and other services into one building. That’s made us better able to respond to the needs of Hispanic families and to build upon the importance of family in the Hispanic culture.” Read more: Download Grant Application  Visit Web site: Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Hartford |