Federal Grant Enables Parents as Teachers to Expand in New Jersey
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services will receive $2,035,554 in Fiscal Year 10 federal grants allocated for a home visiting program. About $400,000 of that will be used to expand Parents as Teachers services in nine counties..
St. Louis, MO, August 07, 2011 --(PR.com)-- The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services will receive $2,035,554 in Fiscal Year 10 federal grants allocated for the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV). About $400,000 of the grant will be used to expand Parents as Teachers services in Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Camden, Cumberland, Essex, Mercer, Ocean, and Sussex counties to serve about 180 families.
The federal MIECHV program is designed to strengthen and increase program goals, coordinate services and improve outcomes for at-risk communities through early childhood home visiting programs. Parents as Teachers, the nation’s largest network of home visiting programs, has been improving outcomes for families nationwide for more than 25 years. The Parents as Teachers evidence-based home visiting model is one of just eight models approved for use under federal guidelines for MIECHV.
“New Jersey is excited to be receiving these new federal funds to continue expanding its network of prenatal and early childhood evidence-based home visiting models,” said Dr. Lakota Kruse, Director of New Jersey Maternal and Child Health Services. “State and local partners view Parents as Teachers as an important model for expansion that enables New Jersey to offer voluntary home visiting services to at-risk families that may have missed an opportunity to enroll at pregnancy or birth.”
Last year in New Jersey, more than 2,800 children and their families received Parents as Teachers services. Of those, many faced a variety of family risk factors such as low income, teen pregnancy, chemical dependency and homelessness, issues Parents as Teachers parent educators are uniquely trained to address. If left unresolved, these issues can quickly escalate and negatively impact young children. Parent educators also provide well-researched information to help all families make good parenting decisions. They screen children for developmental issues and connect families to each other and additional community resources.
“New Jersey's overarching goals are to promote child and family health, and prevent child neglect and abuse,” Kruse said. “These new funds are a big step in realizing those objectives.”
About Parents as Teachers
Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., Parents as Teachers champions the critical role of parental involvement and early intervention in a child’s development. Parents as Teachers supports a network of professionals and organizations who serve more than 300,000 families across the country and around the world through a proven parent education model.
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The federal MIECHV program is designed to strengthen and increase program goals, coordinate services and improve outcomes for at-risk communities through early childhood home visiting programs. Parents as Teachers, the nation’s largest network of home visiting programs, has been improving outcomes for families nationwide for more than 25 years. The Parents as Teachers evidence-based home visiting model is one of just eight models approved for use under federal guidelines for MIECHV.
“New Jersey is excited to be receiving these new federal funds to continue expanding its network of prenatal and early childhood evidence-based home visiting models,” said Dr. Lakota Kruse, Director of New Jersey Maternal and Child Health Services. “State and local partners view Parents as Teachers as an important model for expansion that enables New Jersey to offer voluntary home visiting services to at-risk families that may have missed an opportunity to enroll at pregnancy or birth.”
Last year in New Jersey, more than 2,800 children and their families received Parents as Teachers services. Of those, many faced a variety of family risk factors such as low income, teen pregnancy, chemical dependency and homelessness, issues Parents as Teachers parent educators are uniquely trained to address. If left unresolved, these issues can quickly escalate and negatively impact young children. Parent educators also provide well-researched information to help all families make good parenting decisions. They screen children for developmental issues and connect families to each other and additional community resources.
“New Jersey's overarching goals are to promote child and family health, and prevent child neglect and abuse,” Kruse said. “These new funds are a big step in realizing those objectives.”
About Parents as Teachers
Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., Parents as Teachers champions the critical role of parental involvement and early intervention in a child’s development. Parents as Teachers supports a network of professionals and organizations who serve more than 300,000 families across the country and around the world through a proven parent education model.
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Contact
National Center for Parents as Teachers
Pat Simpson
314-432-4330 +283
www.parentsasteachers.org
Pat Simpson
314-432-4330 +283
www.parentsasteachers.org
Contact
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