David Caprio has been named executive director of Children’s Friend, Rhode Island’s oldest nonprofit child welfare organization, succeeding Lenette Azzi-Lessing. He joined Children’s Friend in 2000 as finance director and more recently served as the associate executive director.
Caprio was previously assistant controller at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island.
PBN: How is Children’s Friend funded?
CAPRIO: Our funding sources include everything from state and local governments, to health insurance providers, the United Way, foundations, corporations, individuals and an endowment. State funding provides about 40 percent of our total funding, followed by fee-for-service billing and direct federal funding.
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PBN: What role do you see for yourself in advocacy and policy?
CAPRIO: I will take on a very active role in advocating for our state’s most vulnerable children and their families. My initial focus will be to stress the importance of investing in comprehensive and preventative services. … Life is complicated for all of us, yet we as a society too often make the mistake of trying to treat just one issue or factor with a child or family.
PBN: Do you see a growing need for your agency’s services?
CAPRIO: Yes, we do see a growing need for our services … We are seeing more and more families in crisis because they are unable to meet the most basic of needs such as stable housing, access to health care and adequate food.
PBN: What do you see as Children’s Friend’s biggest challenge in the near future?
CAPRIO: Our biggest challenge is going to be in getting our leaders, especially in government, to invest in comprehensive preventative services for our most vulnerable citizens. With budgets strained at both the federal and state levels, the easy way out is to cut preventative services and to just continue to treat the consequences of the problems.
