Rhode Island ranked 25th in the nation for the overall wellbeing of its children, according to the 23rd annual Kids Count data book released Wednesday. more

At an event Wednesday at the Warwick Public Library, Rhode Island Kids Count Policy Analyst Stephanie Geller presented Warwick-centric data from the 2012 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook, showing the improvements and declines in the well-being of the city’s children and youth. more

The Providence Preservation Society will purchase the 1769 Brick School House from the city of Providence thanks to a $341,500 grant from The Champlin Foundations, the preservation society announced Tuesday. more

The Rhode Island Foundation, the state’s largest funder of nonprofit organizations, announced Tuesday that it has created a new department of strategy and public affairs. more

Mark G. Griffin was recently appointed to the board of directors for Children’s Friend, after being selected for his corporate experience and knowledge of the Rhode Island nonprofit community. Griffin brings more than a decade of organizational and human resources experience to the board and currently serves as senior vice president for corporate human resources at CVS Caremark Corp. He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial psychology and human resources from the University of Rhode Island. more

At their most recent staff retreat, the senior management of Child & Family, a social service nonprofit in Middletown, went on a two-day trip to engage in serious strategic planning and organizational framing. more

Rhode Island ranked 40th in the U.S. for funding programs that help prevent kids from smoking and help current smokers quit, according to a report released by a coalition of public health organizations. more

Peter A. Koch, CEO of Rhode Island’s largest eye care practice, Koch Eye Associates, was honored by the National Mentoring Partnership’s board of directors with the 2013 Excellence in Mentoring in America: Individual Leadership award. more

As part of its 10th anniversary celebration, the Working Waterfront Festival is launching the Portholes Project, a series of free, monthly programs to spark conversation about issues facing working waterfronts. more

About 50 local families with young children will receive backpacks filled with books, thanks to a grant from Target. more