Check it out: The current edition of our newsletter is live!

And you can learn more about what's happening with Healthy Families America, our new ACEs infographic, the Spirit of Prevent Award that was recently won by Rebecca Ruffner the Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse America, read a message from James M. Hmurovich, our President & CEO and Connect the Dots here. So please do take a look and don't hesitate to let us know if you have any questions about any of this. Thanks!

Healthy Families America and Project Self-Sufficiency in the news.

We are excited to share a recent piece in TheAlternativePress.com about the accreditation of Healthy Families America affiliate Project Self-Sufficiency. We also want to congratulate Project Self-Sufficiency, we have posted an excerpt from the piece below, and we hope you will take a look at the full piece - here.

"Once a family elects to participate in Project Self-Sufficiency’s Healthy Families home visitation program, they will receive visits approximately once a week, depending on the age and health of their children. Typical visits from a home vistor usually last about an hour and include a discussion about topics such as health, nutrition and developmental milestones. Home visitors receive extensive training in a wide range of potential issues for new parents, including caring for a crying baby, proper nutrition, healthy child development, and stress management."

The “Long Campaign Is Over.” Let’s Get To Work.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO, IL, November 7, 2012 – The 2012 Presidential campaign is over and now is the time to come together and get to work as a nation to support our President and discuss the issues that are critical to our nation’s future, but did not make it into the campaign.

Children and families were not part of the discussion during this campaign season, but we cannot discuss the future prosperity of the country if we do not discuss how each child and family, regardless of race, culture or geography should have an equal opportunity for healthy development.

We know the tremendous positive impacts we can have on a child’s brain architecture that sets a course for a child’s future success. We know that family well-being can be strengthened when we support “protective factors” such as increasing social connections and knowledge of parenting and child development in families, neighborhoods, and communities.

And we know there are programs focusing on home visiting and child sexual abuse and bullying prevention that are effective and working in states across the country right now…programs that teach empathy and respect and prepare children for the transition into adulthood as contributing members of our communities.

But we need to get to work.

Policy makers, elected officials, corporate executives, faith communities and every individual in our country must begin to ask, “What is the national vision for our children and families?” “What are the specific strategies to achieve that vision?” And “What concrete actions can we as individuals, communities, and as a nation take in order to truly prepare our children for the future?”

We need to get to work, all of us, because no matter what side we are on politically, we are all on the side of children and families, so let’s prove that during the next four years.

“The election is part of the history books now,” said James M. Hmurovich, President & CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America, “but the work isn’t done, not for children and families, and not for the future of this great country. I ask everyone to ask what you can do to advocate for public policies that support protective factors and children and families. I ask everyone to call for a national vision that enhances the well-being of all children and all families. And I ask everyone to join us as we advocate for these things, today, tomorrow, during the next four years, and beyond.”

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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 530 Healthy Families America home visitation sites in 39 states, the Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico 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.  

Healthy Families America in the news.

Healthy Families America has come to Scotts Bluff, Morrill, and Box Butte counties in Nebraska courtesy of federal funding via the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The program is called Healthy Families America, Nebraska Panhandle, and it has received a nice write-up at the starherald.com here. Please do take a look, please enjoy an excerpt from the article below, and for more information about Healthy Families America please take a look at their website here.

"New is already benefiting from the program receiving guidance and support.

“I’m learning about being a good parent,” she said. “What to expect every week and how he (baby) is growing. We watch videos on the Internet learn about the growth of his bones, muscles and everything.”

"Nutrition is another tool New is learning, she said. How many servings she needs for good nutrition for her and her baby.

“It (education) has helped me stay active,” New said. “My sister was told not to exercise when she was pregnant, so I thought I shouldn’t, but Myrna said I should stay active unless my doctor tells me not too. I like being active and don’t like being in one place, I like to be outdoors and take walks.”

"New added that she has also learned more about finances. She has been buying a package of Pampers at least once a month.

“I’ve been saving some money so that when he comes I’ll be able to get whatever he needs,” she said. “I’m excited and happy to have someone there to call whenever I need them.”

Get Involved!

Here at Prevent Child Abuse America, we work to ensure the healthy development of children nationwide because we recognize that child development is a building block for community development and economic development. We need your help to do our work well, and there are many ways to get involved:

Volunteer at a local state chapter here.

Make an online, one-time donation here to help us provide information, education, and services to families and children and educate policymakers on the importance of preventing child abuse and neglect from ever occurring in the first place.

Become informed on the importance of home visitation services like our signature prevention program, Healthy Families America here.

Host a house party here to raise awareness for child abuse prevention (and have some fun at the same time!)

Learn more on our website here, blog here, or Facebook page here and share with friends

We’re so excited you’re here – thank you for joining us in our efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect before it ever occurs.

National Fundraising Campaign on Groupon Now Underway!

From today through November 27th, Groupon subscribers will be given the chance to make $10, $25 or $50 donations to Prevent Child Abuse America. Funds raised from the campaign will support the purchase and distribution of parenting information to new and expectant parents enrolled in our hallmark direct service program Healthy Families America which you can learn more about here. Every $10 donation means another 15 booklets to be sent. The more we raise, the more we can send! 

Participation is easy:

1. Visit here.

2. If not a Groupon subscriber, visit here to join.

3. Or watch for us in Groupon emails and on Groupon’s site at various times throughout the week.

Groupon, launched in November 2008 in Chicago, features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, eat, see and buy in 45 countries around the world. Groupon uses collective buying power to offer huge discounts and provide a win-win for business and consumers, delivering more than 1,000 daily deals globally. 

To subscribe for the best deals in your city, visit here.

To learn how to become a featured business, visit here.

Healthy Families America Chosen by 33 states for the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chicago, IL (July 8, 2011) - Prevent Child Abuse America is pleased that Healthy Families Amercica, Prevent Child Abuse America’s signature, evidence-based home visiting program has been chosen by a total of 33 states and all five US Territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, America Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) as one, if not their only model, to fund with federals dollars via the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, a component of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“We couldn’t be more excited, or humbled, to learn about the interest in Healthy Families America,” said James M. Hmurovich, President & CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America, “but we also believe that what’s truly important is that home visiting is available to all children and their families. This is about the future of this country and ensuring that all children have an equal opportunity for healthy growth and development.”

Healthy Families America is an evidence-based, nationally recognized home visiting program model designed to work with overburdened families who are at-risk for adverse childhood experiences, including child maltreatment. It is the primary home visiting model best equipped to work with families who may have histories of trauma, intimate partner violence, mental health and/or substance abuse issues. Healthy Families America services begin prenatally, or right after the birth of a baby, and are offered voluntarily, intensively and over the long-term, three to five years after the birth of the baby.

“This news represents the strength of this community-based partnership between parents, providers and the places they live,” added Hmurovich, “and to further the reach and impact of a program such as Healthy Families America is not just an accomplishment for Prevent Child Abuse America, but the right thing to do.”

Prevent Child Abuse America would also like to take a moment to recognize the hard work of the Healthy Families America staff, Cydney M. Wessel, National Director of Healthy Families America; Phyllis Medrano, Healthy Families America Network Coordinator; Lisa Sutter, National Director of Training; and Kate Whitaker, Kathleen Strader and Lynn Kosanovich, Regional Directors for the West-Southeast, Central and Northeast respectively, because without them this level of interest and support for the program would not be possible.

“Ultimately, we know that the success of evidence based models like Healthy Families America are enhanced by the commitment and skills of the staff that administer it, train on it and develop the implementation strategies that allow it to expand its presence in communities across the nation,” said Hmurovich.

ABOUT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AMERICA

Prevent Child Abuse America, founded in 1972, works to ensure the healthy development of children nationwide while recognizing that child development is a building block for community development and economic development. We believe that communities across the country are doing innovative things with great results to prevent abuse and neglect from ever occurring, and what we need to do as a nation is commit to bringing this kind of ingenuity to communities everywhere. Based in Chicago, Prevent Child Abuse America has chapters in 47 states and 387 Healthy Families America sites in 36 states.