Parent Coach Recognized for Volunteer Efforts to Prevent Child Abuse

May 3, 2012 - PRLog -- Child Abuse Prevention month may have just ended April 30th but Connie Hammer of Round Pond, Maine volunteers to prevent child abuse year round and has been doing so for many years. In recognition of her efforts the Maine Children’s Trust presented the 2012 Community Volunteer Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Recognition Award to Connie Hammer at an award ceremony held at the Senator Inn on May 1st in Augusta, Maine.

The Maine Children’s Trust is the statewide non-profit organization that works to create a brighter future for Maine children by raising and distributing money to community based programs throughout Maine that work to prevent child abuse. The recipient of the Community Volunteer award is chosen from individuals across the state that actively volunteer to support the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

Governor Paul LePage spoke at the event acknowledging the valuable work accomplished by Hammer who was nominated by Peter Lindsay, Director of Community Impact at United Way of Mid-coast Maine, and Leslie Livingston, Executive Director of Healthy Kids. Hammer is the founder of Healthy Kids http://www.healthykidsmaine.com, a non-profit, previously known as the Lincoln County Child Abuse and Neglect Council, which she established in Damariscotta, Maine in 1985.

Hammer has been diligently dedicated to the agency and the cause ever since. She held the position of Council Coordinator for the first few years before she went to work for the Department of Human Services.  For most of her professional life she was employed as a social worker in the local public school system, all the while contributing her personal time as board member, or as a volunteer in many other capacities. Hammer currently serves as co-president of the board of directors for Healthy Kids.

Upon receiving the award, Hammer stated that the statistics on child abuse have not changed much since she started the agency twenty-seven years ago. Some may see that as a good sign but Hammer asks, “How much worse can they get?  It’s time we change these statistics for the better.” She went on to add, “We already know what to do to prevent child abuse and strengthening families is one of them.”

Hammer’s passion for strengthening families has led her to make a difference in the lives of numerous families. At present Hammer continues to advocate for vulnerable populations while she manages her own online parent consulting business as a PCI Certified Parent Coach® coaching parents by phone or in person across the country. Hammer currently focuses on supporting parents who either suspect a developmental delay or have a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder regarding their child. To find more information about services she offers visit here http://www.parentcoachingforautism.com