News & Info

Invest in Kids Receives $50,000 Grant from Wellpoint Foundation
Invest in Kids is proud to announce funding received from Wellpoint Foundation, a private, non-profit organization wholly funded by WellPoint, Inc. Through charitable contributions and programs, the Foundation promotes WellPoint’s inherent commitment to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that WellPoint serves.  This grant will support Colorado's Nurse-Family Partnership program.

The grant is part of the Foundation's Healthy Generations program, a multi-generational initiative to help improve public health in the 14 states where WellPoint is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.  For more information about the Foundation, visit http://www.wellpointfoundation.org/home.html. 

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.

Make a Social Investment this Holiday Season!
This holiday season, give with your heart and your head.  Ken Berger is president of Charity Navigator--the nation's largest independent charity evaluator.  Charity Navigator guides intelligent giving by providing information on charities and their financial health.  Berger 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 holiday donation to Invest in Kids and the Nurse-Family Partnership program, click here!

Invest in Kids 2008/2009 Annual Review & Fall Newsletter Now Online!
Our 2008/2009 Annual Review is now available online!  Check out our year in review and read about our outstanding program outcomes.  Both the Annual Review and the Fall Newsletter are filled with important information about Invest in Kids, fantastic pictures, and heartwarming stories about children and families we've served throughout the last year.

Invest in Kids on BBC News Report
The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) sought out Invest in Kids after hearing about our cutting edge work throughout Colorado.  Watch this fun and informative video featuring Board members Jennifer Atler, Bob Hill, and John Walsh, Lt. Governor Barbara O'Brien, and numerous clients and local stakeholders.



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 Executive Director, Lisa Merlino, Interviewed on Colorado & Company
Lisa was invited to speak about Invest in Kids on Colorado & Company, a show which features local organizations and businesses.  Please view this video to learn more about our work.



Invest in Kids Partners with Comcast To Raise Awareness
Invest in Kids is proud to partner with Comcast to raise awareness of our mission to improve the health and well-being of Colorado's children, particularly those from a low-income background, through research-based, proven programs.  Comcast will be airing our public service annoucement throughout the year on many of its networks.  To view the PSA on youtube.com, please click on the picture below.



Invest in Kids' First Program, Nurse-Family Partnership, Highlighted on NBC
The Grand Junction site of Invest in Kids' Nurse-Family Partnership program was featured on a local NBC news affiliate.  To view the video about nurses and their relationships with low-income, first-time mothers, please click here.



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.  To view the video about Invest in Kids and our founding Board members, please click on the image below.



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.

As executive director, Merlino will guide the organization in its mission of improving the health and well being of Colorado’s youngest children – particularly those from low-income families – through effective, research-based programs. Merlino, who has served as deputy director for IIK for nine years, will assume her new position in July.

“The board unanimously concluded that Lisa is the ideal choice to lead Invest in Kids into the future, and that no other potential candidate could compare,” said John Walsh, chairman of the board of directors for IIK. “I know I speak for the entire board when I say that we’re excited to work with her in this new role.”

This year, IIK celebrates its 10th anniversary of identifying and implementing programs that demonstrate the highest level of standards and greatest promise for impact. The organization's programs include Nurse-Family Partnership, The Incredible Years, and Good Behavior Game, all of which excel at serving at-risk young children and families.

10th Annual Jane-A-Thon!
The 10th annual Jane-A-Thon was a huge success, raising over $24,000 for Colorado's most vulnerable children and families! A special thanks to the sponsors of this year's event. Visit the Jane-A-Thon Sponsors page for more information on our sponsors.

Invest in Kids 2007 Annual Report
Invest in Kids' 2007 Annual Report is available online. Click here to access the report.