For the third year in a row, Healthy Kids, Inc. and the Butler County school system has received a $25,000 state grant.

The name of the grant is Child Abuse Neglect Prevention that helps The Children’s Trust Fund.

“The purpose of it is to help educate parents and childcare providers on ways they can prevent child abuse and neglect,” Director of Healthy Kids Lisa Nimmer said. “We provide classes, training, forums, and we service the daycares and the parents that go to the daycares as a way of helping young children.”

The Butler County school system will receive $15,000 of the grant that will go towards preschool education and parent involvement initiatives, Superintendent Darren Douthitt explained.

Healthy Kids will receive the remaining $10,000 that will go towards educating parents on children’s safety.

“I think any opportunity that we get to build a bridge between social service agencies or politicians or other groups who are trying to support what we do, we have to take full advantage of it, and today is an opportunity for them to help us, help kids,” Douthitt said.

Nimmer said this grant is significantly smaller than in years past, but has high hopes for the program to continue.

“[The sum] has handcuffed us a little bit in what we’re doing but we’re able to move forward and we’re able to keep the programs alive and that is what our goal is today,” Nimmer said. “We had a lot of success stories with parents learning things that will help keep their children safe.”

When applying for the grant, Nimmer said you have to specifically address what the money will be used for and submit monthly reports letting the state know that those items are being accomplished.

“In this economy, I am very, very thankful for every cent we can get form whatever agency or whatever political group,” Douthitt said. “It’s that important that we get these kind of opportunities to get funding. It’s going to get tougher and tougher for us so every little bit helps.”