Dear Families and Friends of Northampton Parents Center,
It is with great gratitude and a wide range of emotions that I am writing to announce that I will be stepping down as director of NPC at the end of this season in June to join the team nearby at the Children’s Clinic. This has been one of the most difficult decisions for me to make given my love for NPC, its mission, and the supportive community we have all created here for families with young children. For nineteen years, I have loved meeting and connecting with families, facilitating playgroups, and building community at NPC. It has been an honor to be trusted with this role in our community. I am grateful to each child, family, parent, caregiver, grandparent, friend, staff member, volunteer, donor, and community member with whom I have had the opportunity to work.
NPC will be in excellent hands. I am thrilled to announce that Lindsey King, our current Program Assistant, has been appointed by the board of directors to assume the role of Director this summer. My experience working with Lindsey over the past year assures me that NPC’s legacy of warmth, inclusivity, and welcome will continue to flourish under her leadership. Our board and Parent Advisory Committee are now focused on finding a new Program Assistant to support Lindsey and ensure a smooth transition.
Lindsey and I are already working closely to ease this transition for NPC, and I urge you all to step up to support Lindsey and our team. Your increased participation, through offering your voice, volunteering, or donating, will be crucial to sustain and enhance our programs. With the support of our volunteers and our generous community NPC will continue to welcome families for many years to come.
My professional passion remains working with families and helping parents and caregivers to understand children’s strong feelings and behaviors. The need for mental health professionals for young children has grown significantly and I am excited to deepen my work with families and children in the clinical realm at Cutchin’s Programs for Children and Families at the Children’s Clinic.
Thank you all for embracing me in this role at NPC for these many years. It has been my life’s work to this point, and I will miss being with you at NPC every day.
With warmth and gratitude,
Swansea
Swansea Benham Bleicher
Northampton Parents Center
