The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as health care reform, generates a new $1.5 billion federal funding stream that can help expand Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), one of Invest in Kids’ two research-based, proven programs.
Colorado has one of the largest existing NFP programs, along with some of the nation’s best program outcomes and a highly developed program delivery infrastructure. This grant could help Invest in Kids expand the program significantly, serving additional low-income, first-time mothers throughout Colorado.
The home visitation grant program appropriates $1.5 billion over five years (available starting this fiscal year) to states to provide proven, evidence-based home visitation programs such as NFP. States must meet certain benchmarks over time with families enrolled in these programs, such as improving maternal and child health and development, school readiness, and economic sufficiency; and reducing child abuse, neglect and injuries, juvenile delinquency, and health and educational disparities. The Nurse-Family Partnership has already been proven to produce these outcomes through more than 30 years of testing in randomized, controlled trials across diverse settings as well as through the last 10 years of implementation. The data shows profound improvements in these areas with the over 11,000 women served in Colorado alone to date.
Charity Navigator Highlights Nurse-Family Partnership as a Meaningful Social Investment!
Charity Navigator--the nation's largest independent charity evaluator, guides intelligent giving by providing information on charities and their financial health. Ken Berger, president of Charity Navigator recently told Foxnews.com that “People should start with their hearts when they give, but they should also use their heads to make sure that donation is truly going to help. It’s critically important.” Nurse-Family Partnership was among the charities that Berger specifically recommended as producing meaningful results in people's lives. “More and more people are thinking it’s not just a donation, but a social investment that has meaningful results,” he said. “So don’t just give from your heart, use your head too.”
To make a social investment in Invest in Kids and the Nurse-Family Partnership program, click here!
Research Highlights Benefits of Early Childhood Interventions
The Partnership for America's Economic Success, a national coalition of economists, policy experts and advocates, recently published a brief on the economic benefits of investing in children. The publication highlights both of Invest in Kids' statewide programs, Nurse-Family Partnership and The Incredible Years.
In addition, two scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently penned a commentary which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which highlights the cascade of health problems that could be prevented by early childhood intervention. This article also highlights Nurse-Family Partnership as "the most rigorously evaluated example of a program that promotes safe, stable, and nurturing relatioships," something that the authors demonstrate as key to a child's health and success.
Both of these articles are more than research - they are calls to action. Please help Invest in Kids give all children the chance to thrive by sharing these articles with friends and family or by making a donation in support of our work.
Back to School!
While going back to school is exciting for both parents and children, the transition from freedom to structure can be difficult. Carolyn Rubenstein, a program consultant for Invest in Kids, shares her wisdom about making the transition as easy as possible for your kids.
Invest in Kids Raises Over $230,000 At Its 10 Year Anniversary Celebration!
To learn more about the evening's success, click here. To read the article about the event in the May 24th Denver Post, please click here.
Invest in Kids Board Appoints New Executive Director
Current executive director, Jennifer Atler, will be stepping down as of July 1 to spend more time with her growing family (though she will remain on the Invest in Kids Board of Directors). In May, the Invest in Kids Board of Directors unanimously apppointed Lisa Merlino, IIK's current deputy director, as Invest in Kids next executive director.