Oxford

The Oxford Hills Communities for Children began in the early 1990s as a Community Partnership through the Federal Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and received substantial training in community mobilization, including the Loftquist model of community development, which looked at youth as resources.

Many of the key players who contributed to the "Community Coalition of Western Maine" continue to be active in this coalition, which joined Communities for Children as a Partner Community in 1997. This C4C is sponsored by Community Concepts.

A variety of programs to enhance the well being of children and families have been established in the Oxford Hills area by the agencies that are members of the community coalition. The programs are described below.

Family Support: Community Concepts piloted this program in Oxford County in 1997 with a shared $650,000 contract with two other organizations in Waldo and Somerset Counties. It was expanded to become the Community Intervention Program, which is a community-based child protection program with a current contract for Oxford, Androscoggin and Franklin Counties of approximately $1 million dollars. Oxford County receives over 250 child referrals a year.

Parenting Education: Coalition members identified service gaps in this area and Community Concepts staff obtained certification in the Positive Parenting Curriculum. Begun in 2000, this program now provides Survival Skills for Parents of Teens and Survival Skills for Parents of Young Children, six-week sessions in South Paris and Rumford four times a year.

Kids First Workshops: Since 1999, Community Concepts provides monthly Kids First workshops for parents experiencing divorce or separation in Rumford and South Paris.

Teen Impact! Center Without Walls: The Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School’s Alternative Education Class co-wrote an application with Community Concepts and others to the Maine Office of Substance Abuse for a $50,000 annual award that helps teens and adults work collaboratively to create a teen center (over the long run) and over the short term create fun, safe, and meaningful activities and mentor relationships. Current activities include developing a skateboard park in South Paris. The Child Health Center now holds this contract.

Parents as Teachers Program: With the Coalition’s support, Community Concepts was awarded two contracts to create this program, which fills a large gap in home visitation services in Oxford County.

Early Head Start, with 95 children (the largest in Maine), and the adolescent pregnancy program of the Child Health Center both had very long waiting lists. The first contract will cover services for 40 children and the training/PAT certification of three staff to provide the program to teen parents. The second doubles capacity to 80 children and pays for a half-time registered nurse to provide adolescent services in the Rumford area.

Stephens Memorial Hospital of Norway self-funded a school-based health center at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School for the past four years. It provides a nurse practitioner and social worker full time; Community Concepts provides a full time substance abuse counselor.

In 1997 the community began the Early Head Start Program, with one of Community Concept’s three centers in South Paris. With this foundation and creative collaborations, the site provides regular infant and toddler playgroups and special fathers only/mothers only playgroups.

The Celebrating Fatherhood Project, begun in 1996 through a $5,000 contract with the Maine Office of Substance Abuse and Community Concepts, provides extensive activities for fathers and children of all ages.

The Norway Memorial Library is one of the most entrepreneurial libraries in the state and the Children’s Librarian started infant and toddler library hours, infant/toddler playgroups and a highly successful summer program for elementary school youth.

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