Published on October 09, 2009

The Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children Honors Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Mark Shriver and Others at 25th Anniversary Celebration

Rockville, MD - The Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children (the Lourie Center) will host its 25th anniversary celebration "Nurturing the Next Generation ... Now!" at the Embassy of Finland in Washington, DC on October 13.

The event will pay tribute to the Lourie Center's 25-year history in the community as well as the individuals and organizations that have made indelible marks in the field of child development and education. The evening's honorees include: Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.); The Honorable Mark K. Shriver; Dr. Rhoda Baruch, psychologist, researcher, educator and philanthropist; and The Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust.

Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mrs. Katherine Van Hollen, Washington Post Columnist Colbert I. King and Mrs. Gwendolyn King will serve as honorary committee co-chairs.
Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) will receive a public service award in recognition of his advocacy for mental health reform and early education, particularly his work to introduce The Foundations for Learning Act, which recognizes that social and emotional development in children is as critical as cognitive development.

The Honorable Mark K. Shriver will be presented with a community partner award for his dedication to vulnerable children and families, through his work as the Vice President and Managing Director of U.S. Programs for Save the Children, Chair of the National Commission on Children and Disasters, and as a former member of both the Maryland House of Delegates and the Lourie Center's Board of Directors.

The Lourie Center will present the Reginald S. Lourie Award to Dr. Rhoda Baruch. She is a respected psychologist, researcher, educator and philanthropist who worked with Dr. Reginald S. Lourie, the founder of the Lourie Center, and others to educate the public about the important of child development. Dr. Baruch has also authored numerous publications, most recently, Creative Anger: Putting that Powerful Emotion to Good Use, published in 2008.

The Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust will receive a community partner award in recognition and appreciation of the Trust's long time support for the care and development of children with physical, emotional, and intellectual disabilities.

"For 25 years, the Lourie Center has been a resource for families who struggle to build and maintain healthy relationships with their children," said Paula Widerlite, Board Chair, the Lourie Center. "Our honorees are advocates in our mission to raise awareness of the importance of early intervention and the need to continue providing this vital service to families in the community."

The Lourie Center is dedicated to strengthening emotionally healthy parent-child relationships within the community through early prevention, intervention, education, research and training.

About the Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children

The Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children was founded in 1983 by the late Dr. Reginald S. Lourie and his colleagues. The organization evolved from a six-year clinical research project funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. This project demonstrated the value of early identification and intervention to enable children to reach their full potential, developmentally and emotionally. In 2006, the Lourie Center affiliated with Adventist HealthCare. Based in Rockville, Maryland, the Reginald S. Lourie Center specializes in the assessment, treatment and prevention of emotional, behavioral and developmental problems in infants and young children.