EAST BERNE — Though the Hilltown Family Center officially opened to the public on Monday, Hilltowners have been calling for its services since it started moving into its East Berne home this fall.
"We’ve had our phone ringing well before this," said Marge Capuano, lead family advisor.

Capuano heads a staff of three Hilltown residents at the center, which is housed at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Main Street in East Berne. Their mission, Capuano said, is to provide information, referrals, and support to families with children who have emotional, behavioral, or developmental problems.
"We’re not turning anyone away," Capuano said. "Any family that comes in here will be eligible to receive something."

Capuano and the two part-time advisors, Amy Anderson and Marybeth Peterson, are parents or members of families of children with special needs, said Linda Stewart, the co-project director and family counselor earlier.
"When there are emotional, behavioral, or developmental needs, the family tends to withdraw and not know where to go for help," said Stewart. "There’s no place for parents to go that is warm and welcoming, where you can ask questions, right in your neighborhood....This will give parents a place that meets their culture and their needs."

The Hilltown Resource Center is one of three such centers intended for Albany County by Families Together in Albany County. The other two, in Albany and suburban Colonie, haven’t opened yet.

Families Together in Albany County was formed with a $9.4 million grant from the federal government and a partnership between the county and Families Together in New York State, Inc., a statewide non-profit organization for families with children with special needs.
"Families Together in New York State collaborated with Albany County to get the grant, and Families Together in Albany County was the result," Capuano said.

All of the center’s services will be free. In addition to the information and referrals, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, Dr. Monica Myer from Albany Medical Center, will visit the facility once a month.
If, for example, a family notices a child is falling behind in school or having behavioral problems, the doctor can examine him or her "to see if there is a problem," Capuano said.

The center held an open house on Sunday. Over 100 people came, including 25 children, Capuano said. The open house doubled as an information fair, with representatives from the Cornell Cooperative Extension and Headstart attending.

At the open house, people learned about the Across Ages Mentoring Program, in which Families Together in Albany County will pair youth between ages nine and 15 with adults over 55. The program’s director, Kevin Brown, talked to The Enterprise in October.
"The success of our program and more importantly, its ability to improve services for the youth of the Hilltowns, will be dependent upon strong members," Brown said. "The Hilltown senior citizens’ expertise and life experiences are key components."

One of the reasons Families Together is designating one of its centers just for the Hilltowns is to save busy parents the long drive into the city.
"There is so much need up here," Capuano said. "I mean, everything is far away....Time is so valuable and everything takes so long."

Besides providing help to families who call or drop in, the Hilltown Family Center has plans to start a number of programs, from forming support groups, to starting a high school youth group. It also plans to hold information sessions on HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program), Medicare, and food stamps, Capuano said.

Already, Hilltowners are interested and the center is spreading the word to the far reaches of the county, including into Westerlo and Rensselaerville.
"It’s a big place up here. It’s a lot of miles," Capuano said. "By word of mouth, I know it’s going to start coming around, really."

The center has been in contact with the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School District and other social organizations, Capuano said.
"We’re working hand in hand with all these agencies," she said.

Capuano is excited about getting to work at the center. She and her staff have just completed extensive training.
"We are so happy that we’re here and we want to do a great job," Capuano said. "We’re going to give 100 percent and 100 percent will be given back to us because there’s such a big need."

The Hilltown Family center is open weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the advisors are available weekends and evenings by appointment. The phone number is 872-1460.