Cecil County Connections

🌟 Hello, Cecil County Public Schools Families! 🏡

Welcome to the very first issue of the Cecil County Connections. Think of this newsletter as your easy-to-read map to all the helpful information and great places around us. We know life can get busy and sometimes tough. Maybe you're looking for a better job, need some help finding a safe place to live, or want to know where to go for quick, local health care. That’s exactly what this newsletter is for.

Inside these pages, we're going to shine a bright light on all the amazing groups in Cecil County—from the Health Department to wonderful local charities and organizations—who are here to make life better for you and your family. Keep this newsletter close! It's your super-simple first stop for finding the resources, opportunities, and community programs waiting in our towns. We’re all connected, and we're here to help you thrive!

You can click on the Translate button at the top of the page to change the language of this newsletter.

You can use the Table of Contents on the left side of this page to skip to the section of this newsletter that may be most useful to you. We encourage you to explore all of the information in each section in order to take advantage of the many services that are provided by organizations throughout Cecil County.

• If you are a veteran, don't forget to check with your child's school to see what events are taking place to honor all those who have served our country.
• American Education Week is November 17-21
• Families can reach out to their student's school for help finding resources through the School Counselors and/or Community School Advisors

The findhelp website allows you to quickly search for local resources available to all Cecil County citizens.

From the very start - from those early years of preschool and kindergarten through graduation —showing up for school every single day is the secret ingredient to your child's success. It's more than just sitting at a desk; it's about giving them the essential tools they need to shine, both in school and in life. When a student misses too much school— just 2 days a month adds up to a chronic absence—it creates big gaps. Imagine a puzzle missing crucial pieces! Research shows that these absences make it much harder for children to:

• Become strong readers by third grade.

• Succeed as they get older in middle and high school.

• Graduate and chase their dreams.

But it's not just about grades. School is where your child learns how to be a great friend, how to handle tough feelings, and how to solve problems on their own. Every morning they walk through those doors, they are getting crucial practice in:

• Social Skills: Learning how to work with others.

• Self-Regulation: Gaining control over their actions and emotions.

• Resilience: Bouncing back when things are hard.

By making school attendance a top priority, you are doing the hard work of giving your child the best possible start in life. Your consistency creates their confidence. The Attendance Tracker below is a tool that can be used to help make sure that your child maintains excellent attendance. You are making an extraordinary difference. Keep going!

Do You Need Food?

Please use the button in the top left corner of this image to expand to a clear view.

Accessing the EssentialNow site below allows citizens to receive help with food services and local resources in Maryland:

Do You Need a Car?

Do You Need Housing?

Are you trying to avoid foreclosure? Help can be found here:

Do You Need Energy Assistance?

The Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) provides assistance to income-eligible households to help you stay warm, stay connected, and help pay past due energy bills.

BrightPath Cecil

The BrightPath Cecil website is a vetted hub designed to support families and youth in Cecil County with mental health needs. It offers a categorized directory of support, local community resource listings, and downloadable educational materials. Registered users can access free stress management apps and complete brief surveys to track their mental health. This comprehensive digital toolkit helps users find self-guided strategies and connect with professional help for issues ranging from anxiety and depression to grief and addiction.

Create a healthy lifestyle with your children by participating in the Building Healthy Families Program:

Live For Thomas Foundation

Den 22 is a part of the Live For Thomas Foundation. It is a safe space for ages 12-24 to decompress, receive peer support, and crisis intervention located in downtown North East, Maryland. Check out the calendar below in order to find upcoming events in addition to the regular services at the Den. All services are free of charge and the Den is open to all.

Hours:

Monday - Friday from 2:45 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Are you looking for robust care across many medical areas, including primary care, dentistry, behavioral health and more? Try West Cecil Health as they expand into the Elkton area:

Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes, including support for families through Building Healthy Families:

Drug Free Cecil is a network of local coalitions collaborating and partnering to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth and eliminate duplication of efforts in Cecil County. The coalitions’ purpose is to support a youth-led, adult-guided movement to reduce substance abuse in Cecil County.

The Cecil County Health Department works with Christiana Care Elkton Hospital, the Cecil County Neighborhood Youth Panel and several other partners to offer:

• youth tobacco cessation services to help Cecil County youth quit using tobacco/vapes
• adult cessation classes
• vouchers for nicotine replacement therapy

The Cecil Recovery Center offers 24/7 services including overdose risk identification, harm reduction, substance use treatment coordination, recovery planning, and support for friends and family.

Do You Want to Learn How to Start and Maintain a Business?

Take your great idea or talent and learn how to set up your own business by signing up for this program that can teach you the basics of becoming your own boss!

Health Courses for Adults

Self paced courses that will help you learn about a variety of health conditions ranging from nutrition, to diabetes, to cancer and much more.