Phyllis Kikendall Receives Healthy Families America Lifetime Achievement Award

The Award Recognizes Her Lifetime Commitment to Children & Families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chicago, IL (December 3, 2012) — During the Healthy Families America 20th Anniversary Celebration at Prevent Child Abuse America’s recent national conference “Awaken to Change - the National Conference for America’s Children” in Jacksonville, Florida, Phyllis Kikendall, a longtime stalwart for home visiting in Indiana received a Healthy Families America Lifetime Achievement Award which is the highest honor bestowed by the program.

Ms. Kikendall’s experience in early childhood education was the basis for her passion about home visiting and her decision to accept the Program Director position for Healthy Families Indiana with the Indiana Department of Child Welfare. And as state leader she always believed that the public/private partnerships between state and national organizations were key to the ongoing success of the program in Indiana for the past 20 years.

“Phyllis is one of the most dedicated people I have ever met,” said James M. Hmurovich, President & CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America. “She transformed my way of thinking about families when we met for the first time. She counseled me to always look for the strengths in a family and build upon those; that leadership doesn't have to be loud and flamboyant.....just effective, and that problem solving is not for people who do not have focus or the ability to listen. She simply is one of the finest people I know."

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ABOUT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AMERICA
Prevent Child Abuse America, founded in 1972 in Chicago, works to ensure the healthy development of children nationwide. The organization promotes that vision through a network of chapters in 50 states and 539 Healthy Families America sites in 41 states, the District of Columbia, all five US territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Northern Commonwealth of the Marianas, and American Samoa) and Canada. A major organizational focus is to advocate for the existence of a national policy framework and strategy for children and families while promoting evidence-based practices that prevent abuse and neglect from ever occurring. To learn more about what we’re doing to prevent child abuse and neglect and how you can help, please visit our websites here and here.