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The Character Effect™ from Beech Acres Parenting Center,  is an evidenced-based, flexible social & emotional learning program grounded in positive psychology and the science of mindfulness.  The Problem Social & emotional skills, including self-awareness, self-management, and empathy do not come naturally to all children. These are skills that can be taught and encouraged to combat bullying and even suicide. The pandemic has only made things more complicated. A report which surveyed more than 1,400 parents and nearly 900 early childhood educators in Massachusetts found that just over 50% of parents said they have seen a negative impact on their child’s social-emotional development. Early childhood educators teaching younger children have noticed similar trends: 77% of those educators who observed changes said they’ve been negative, including more temper tantrums, sadness or crying, and difficulty separating from parents. Our Solution Leveraging the science of positive psychology and mindfulness, The Character Effect™ creates a common language for teachers, parents, and students to celebrate character strengths and learn to be present in the moment by utilizing skills such as self-management and self-awareness. Unlike other programs, The Character Effect™ starts first with the teachers – encouraging them to recognize their own strengths and teaching the self-care tools that so many teachers need right now. What Services Are Offerred? The Character Effect™ offers a variety of solutions to meet your school’s needs. These include: • Engaging online curriculum • Individual and group coaching sessions for teachers• Family Engagement Events and Workshops• Professional Development Workshops Want to learn more? Download more information here or call 5132316630 today to see how you can #HaveAnEffect in your school.

As you may know, November is National Adoption Month! This is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the urgent need for adoptive families for children and youth. What better way to do that than to share some inspirational stories?  We’re asking parents who have adopted through Beech Acres Parenting Center to share their stories as a way to inspire other families to consider opening their heart and their home to a child.  Here’s what we’re looking for: That’s it! You can share your story in written format and send it to marketing@beechacres.org. If you really want to make an impact send us a short video with the answers.  These stories will be shared on our website, social media, and perhaps emails or newsletters.  Can you help us to inspire more extraordinary individuals to consider foster care and adoption? Please complete a media release form for any children and adults who appear in photos or videos.  Thank you! 

Download the 2022-2023 Signed To Be Kind Patch Program and get started TODAY! Commit to Kindness! Make an intentional commitment to put kindness first with your family. Sign the pledge to commit to being more kind to yourself, within your family, in your community, and to the world. Whoa… pretty big undertaking? It’s ok! We will send you simple ideas to take the ‘randomness’ out of being kind. We could all use a little more kindness in our lives. And while it’s nice when kind acts enter our lives at seemingly random moments, what if everyone approached being kind intentionally? Kindness Can Change The World Kindness, above all your strengths, can change the world. Being kind makes you feel better physically and emotionally. Kindness improves your relationships with your family. Being kind increases your sense of community and brings you closer to those important persons in your life. Kindness can help shape and improve your worldview. Sign The Pledge! We are asking you and your family to be Signed To Be Kind! By signing this pledge, you are committing to being intentional about sharing your strength of kindness with yourself, your family, your community, and by doing so making the world a kinder and better place. Once you’ve signed the pledge, you will receive weekly text messages motivating you to be kind to yourself, your family, your community, and the WORLD! When your troop completes your project, email marketing@beechacres.org and pay for your patches and shipping here.

In 1948, the German General Protestant Orphan Home purchased a 60-acre farm on the boundary of Mt. Washington and Anderson Township, a beautiful rural setting amid stately beech trees, where the children had been accustomed to camp for a few weeks each summer. Board Chair Everett Townsley donated one-third of the purchase price for the new location, which came to be called Beech Acres. There were six cottages housing 10 to 12 children each and a handsome administration building arranged around a grassy circular lawn. After a century on Burnet Avenue, the Home moved and evolved into the Beech Acres Parenting Center of today. But our driving force has remained the same from the start – to help children grow into capable, contributing and caring adults. Follow along all month long as we celebrate our time in Anderson Township.

Beech Acres Is On The Move This October, Beech Acres Parenting Center will be moving to a new, centralized headquarters in downtown Cincinnati. Our beautiful property in Anderson Township has been a wonderful home for Beech Acres more than 70 years, however it is time for us to move to a more modern and centralized location that better meets the needs of the community. Saying Farewell To Anderson Township Our Home for over 70 Years “Our beautiful property in Anderson Township has been a wonderful home for Beech Acres,” said Laura Mitchell, president and CEO. “Beech Acres is outwardly engaged in the community, because that’s where children live their lives every day. We are excited about our new centralized location that will allow us to connect with more children and families throughout the entire Tri-State. Come celebrate our time in Anderson Township on October 20th! Our New Home   The new home for Beech Acres is 615 Elsinore Place Suite 500 Cincinnati, OH 45202, near both Eden Park and the Central Business District. Beech Acres programs and services will continue without interruption during its move, which is scheduled to be complete by the end of October. The Elsinore site is close to several important Beech Acres partners including Cincinnati Public Schools, Hamilton County Job & Family Services, Hamilton County Mental Health & Recovery Services Board, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and other healthcare providers. The modern office includes large training spaces and smaller meeting rooms for more personal discussions. “Moving into downtown Cincinnati is a strategic step that will help us to serve more clients while reinforcing our already solid fiscal foundation for many years to come,” said Brittany Speed, chief financial officer for Beech Acres. In returning to Cincinnati’s urban core, Beech Acres also moves closer to its historical foundations. Established as the German General Protestant Orphan Home in 1849, the agency was first located on Burnet Avenue in Mt. Auburn. After 100 years in that location, the Home moved in 1949 to property in Anderson Township. Under the shade of the many beech trees on the site, it came to be known as Beech Acres, and later, Beech Acres Parenting Center. We’re so excited to be moving into a modern office which includes large training spaces and smaller meeting rooms for more personal discussions that will allow us to deepen the connection we have with families like yours. There will be plenty of spaces for children to continue to receive the critical behavioral health support they need. Our new location is centrally located on the bus line, has plenty of safe parking, and on-site security.  Meeting Parents, Families and Children Where They Are Over the last several decades, Beech Acres’ programs have increasingly extended beyond its campus to where children are – in homes, schools, pediatric offices and everywhere in the community. Beech Acres now serves tens of thousands of people each year through services that include parent coaching, behavioral health support, foster care, adoption and more. Beech Acres programs, based in its unique Natural Strength Parenting™ approach, build on children’s strengths to increase confidence, self-esteem and resilience. Its programs have grown to serve not only children and families in Greater Cincinnati but also in Northern Kentucky, Southwest Ohio and Dayton, and 14 states across the country. Have a memory of our Anderson campus you’d like to share? Email marketing@beechacres.org

Our generous donors get the Insiders’ Scoop on all things Beech Acres! Insiders’ Scoop provides a quarterly update to our valued donors including a message from President & CEO Laura Mitchell, stories of impact from our programs, and valuable information on how to get and stay involved with Beech Acres Parenting Center. Enjoy a digital version of the Insiders’ Scoop that was sent to donors last month. Want to be an Insider? Make a one-time or monthly donation today. Your support provides comprehensive mental health support and wrap-around services to children in schools. Your generosity equips parents with powerful tools and valuable skills through parent coaching in pediatric offices. Your gift inspires parents, grandparents, and other loving adults to care for children other than their own through foster and kinship care. Your compassion makes our community stronger. Thank you!

Recently, a client was referred to Beech Acres Parenting Center’s With All Families program. A series of unfortunate situations and bad luck left this mother struggling. Previously unaddressed mental health issues and temporary financial instability prevented her from providing the proper care her son needed at the time. Unfortunately, she was unable to properly care for her family or herself.   Mom was desperate to reunite with her son.   Mom was connected to With All Families– Prevention Services. This program provides comprehensive support for the “whole” parent, through a variety of proven and evidence-based methodology to help parents reach their goals. This mom had an important goal…to reunite with her son and significantly improve their lives.   Mom attended and completed four weeks of parenting classes and was assigned a family specialist for individual coaching. In these sessions, mom was able to set goals and build critical parenting skills. She was very intentional and dedicated to her progress. Mom attended all her required sessions and kept all her coaching appointments with her family specialist. She set specific goals to become a better mother, and established healthy boundaries with her son’s father, and worked towards financial stability.   During the coaching sessions, a family specialist discussed ways to foster active listening and respect along with supporting her son’s healthy development. Mom was always open-minded and excited to implement positive parenting strategies. She would actively seek feedback and would make the suggested changes to improve her approach to parenting. She even took the initiative to watch YouTube videos and discovered some exciting activities to build her son’s academic skills and physical development.  Mom was reunified with her son in May.    Mom is currently employed, the family is comfortably and safely housed, and they are thriving together. Her son is in daycare so that mom can go to work and provide for her family. Since the program she has maintained appropriate boundaries with her son’s father and has reported improved relationships in all aspects of her life. With All Families provided this mother not only with effective tools to improve her parenting but with the confidence in herself to be the mom she always wanted to be.   Learn more.  *Names have been omitted and circumstances changed to protect the identity of our client.