By Avice Meehan

Thirty-five years after its founding, the Norfolk Connecticut Children’s Foundation is now led by Babs Perkins, whose father, Roderick J. Perkins, helped create the foundation following the closure of the Laurel School.

The foundation’s mission is straightforward: to enrich the lives of Norfolk’s children by supporting cultural and educational experiences, camps and courses, and higher education, including both college and vocational training. 

“We are interested in lowering the barriers to experience for every child in Norfolk,” said Perkins, who has recently become chair of the board of directors.

The results? Chromebooks, library books and bicycles for Botelle School; camp scholarships; training at the Connecticut Fire Academy in Windsor; dance lessons and lifeguard training to support the town beach at Tobey Pond. Donations are also made each year to the discretionary funds of both the Congregational and the Catholic church in Norfolk.

This year, the foundation has taken another important step toward ensuring that every child can benefit from its support by announcing that it will fund a full week of day camp at the YMCA’s Camp Jewell in Colebrook for children entering grades K through 6. The foundation can also be flexible and support children who might need a different camp experience because of a medical condition or specific needs. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

One-time scholarships are also available to Norfolk residents graduating from high school who have been accepted to college or another accredited program. Depending on the number of applicants, the scholarships can be as much as $3,000. The scholarship submission deadline is April 24.

“The application doesn’t need to be complicated,” said Perkins, noting that “every decision we make is about making someone’s life better.”

Information about applications can be found on the foundation’s website: www.norfolkchildren.com. The website includes a grant application, but interested parents and children can also send a letter to the foundation with a specific request. 

“The foundation is really here to help kids with opportunities to be out in the world and do things they might otherwise not be able to do,” said Bea Tirrell, secretary of the foundation’s board of directors, who recently retired after a 41-year career as a teacher at Botelle. “It’s just a privilege to see kids experience that little bit extra.”

Each year, depending on the market and applications, the foundation distributes between $18,000 and $30,000 in grants for a total of nearly $500,000 over the past three decades. Its endowment, which is now more than $300,000, came from the assets of Laurel School, a nonprofit school that served developmentally disabled children.