More than 400 children and parents attended Kids Fest 2018 on April 28.
The event, sponsored by the McKean County Collaborative Board and the Bradford Family YMCA, saw 466 children and parents attend.
“Attendance was a bit down due to the rain, but that just meant that families could spend more time at each of the fun stops,” explained Lee Sizemore, director of McKean County Human Services.
There were 75 fun stops and displays on health, safety and child development at the event, according to data released from the event’s organizers. A total of 172 volunteers shared information with families, 44 percent of which was about health, 24 percent of which was about safety and 32 percent of which was about development.
At the event, 60 children under the age of five received a total of 144 health screenings. Dental concerns were noted in 35 of 45 children screened; hearing issues in 12 out of 34 children screened; developmental concerns in 7 out of 29 children screened; and vision concerns in 7 of 36 children screened.
Sizemore explained the purpose of the event was to relay information to families about health, safety and positive child development.
“The developmental screenings for kids under age five are an important part of the day in order to detect concerns early and connect parents to needed resources,” she said. And the results were somewhat alarming.
“The fact that 35 children were found with dental health problems is concerning since dental care is in short supply,” she said.
Mandi Wilton Davis, executive director of the United Way of the Bradford Area, said attendance was down. However, she added, “to steal a quote from Bob Esch, ‘if we were able to impact one child, it was a success.’”
She said the fest is a “great community event that highlights the good that can come from people across various sectors working together.”
Davis continued, “The targeted population for kids fest is our community’s most vulnerable.” It helps the children who can benefit the most by the good work done by the county’s service providers, she explained. “I know we (at the United Way) remain a proud funder, and look forward to continued work with the great group of professionals that collaborate to make this an annual resource for our local families.”
Tina Martin, executive director of CARE for Children, had nothing but praise for the event, too.
“Kids Fest continues to be the premier children’s event in McKean County that focuses specifically on children birth to five,” she said.
“At no other event could CARE therapists and educators, as well as the many other wonderful organizations in attendance, work together to positively impact the health, development and safety of over 300 children in three hours.”
