| A Prayer For The Children We pray for the Children Who sneak popsicles before supper, Who erase holes in math workbooks, Who can never find their shoes. And we pray for those Who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire, Who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, Who never "counted potatoes," Who are born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead, Who never go to the circus, Who live in an X-rated world. We pray for children Who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, Who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money. And we pray for those who never get dessert, Who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, Who watch their parents watch them die, Who can't find any bread to steal, Who don't have any rooms to clean up, Whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser, Whose monsters are real. We pray for children Who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, Who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, Who like ghost stories, Who shove dirty clothes under the bed, Who never rinse out the tub, Who get visits from the tooth fairy, Who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool, Who squirm in church and scream in the phone, Whose tears we sometimes laugh at and Whose smiles can make us cry. And we pray for those Whose nightmares come in the daytime, Who will eat anything, Who have never seen a dentist, Who aren't spoiled by anybody, Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep, Who live and move, but have no being. We pray for children Who want to be carried and for those who must, Who we never give up on, And for those who don't get a second chance. For those we smother and . . . For those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer AUTHOR UNKNOWN Submitted by B. Hughes |
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| The Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) The Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Program offers care, support and assessment to children and adolescents who may have been abused. The Program is made up of a team of health care professionals who work closely with children and their families. The SCAN Program provides a link between The Hospital for Sick Children and community doctors, community hospitals, Children's Aid Societies, Police, schools and community agencies. __________________________________________________________ |
| KIDS HELP PHONE - "being there for kids" 1- 800 -668-6868 www.Kidshelp.sympactico.ca Kids Help Phone ; -is Canada's only toll-free, 24 hour, national bilingual telephone counselling service for children and youth. -provides counselling services directly to children and youth between the ages of 4 and 19 years and help adults aged twenty and over find the counselling services they need. -Parents, teachers, and any other concerned adults are welcome to call for information and referral services at any time. -We estimate that approximately 30% of our callers are "children at risk". This includes children experiencing violence, either at home or in their communities; struggling with alcohol and/or drug abuse; and or dealing with issues related to suicide. ____________________________________________________________ |
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| RESOURCES |
| NEED HELP National Run Away Swtchboard PHONE NUMBER: 1- 800-621-4000 see related resources below |
| Switchboard http://www.nrscrisisline.org/kids.asp 3080 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL 60657 Business Office Phone: (773) 880-9860 Fax: (773) 929-5150 |
| The National Resource Center for Youth Services To enhance the quality of life of our nation's at-risk youth and their families by enhancing the quality of human services. National Resource Centers and Clearinghouses List Northeast Hub Southeast Hub Midwest Hub West Central Hub Pacific Hub The Administration for Children and Families Department Health and Human Services ______________________________________________________ |
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| SPREAD THE WORD What Are the Ten Actions of the "Say Yes!" Vote? |