[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 178 (Thursday, December 3, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H13471-H13472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CONGRATULATING THE PARSONS CHILD AND FAMILY CENTER

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
congratulate Parsons Child and Family Center for immaculate community 
services that they provide for the needs of children and families in 
the capital region of upstate New York, which I represent.
  Parsons was founded some 180 years ago and has become one of the 
largest human service agencies in upstate New York. Its contributions 
to the 9,000 children and families it serves include counseling 
services, parenting education, child abuse prevention and treatment, 
and mental services.
  While there is no typical child served by Parsons, most have endured 
a significant traumatic event in their lives. The highly trained staff 
at Parsons

[[Page H13472]]

using the latest techniques work to improve the lives of all they 
serve. The role and importance of the family are stressed, with the 
ultimate goal of preserving the family unit whenever and wherever 
possible.
  Today I want to commend Parsons' service and commitment to our 
region's families and children. I encourage us all to look towards them 
as a model of positive support and outcomes in a system that has turned 
around the lives of so many. With one in every five American children 
living in poverty, we commend the role of the professionals at Parsons 
for the work it does.

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