Children’s Hospital Volunteers Honored by President Bush

More than 60 volunteers at Children’s Hospital’s Center for Child Protection were cited Saturday for their service by President Bush.

The presidential citation to the San Diego volunteers was the 490th “Point of Light” recognition given to groups or individuals who “claim society’s problems as their own by taking direct and consequential action.”

Volunteers at the center serve in the child abuse prevention program, participating in individual counseling, parenting classes and peer support groups. They work with teen-age mothers, mothers with drug-addicted babies and parents who have the potential to be abusive, serving as role models to teach parenting skills.

The volunteers also serve as “special friends” to the children whose parents are in the abuse prevention program, at times maintaining contact with the youngsters until they reach adulthood.

The Children’s Hospital program provides for identification, treatment and rehabilitation of neglected and abused children, using its large corps of volunteers to provide one-on-one support to the victims and families.