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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month; it is a time to celebrate the good things our communities do to promote healthy child development, as well as a time to reflect on the work that still remains. We all have a role to play in healthy child development, and our goal this April is to help others recognize that role and the ways in which we can maximize our impact. What are some things happening in our community that are promoting #GreatChildhoods? What are some areas you think we could improve? What can you do in your every day life to help #GreatChildhoods happen? Maybe it's simply helping a neighbor in a stressful situations, cooking a meal for a family welcoming a new child, or volunteering in the community. One easy thing you can do is join us for Wear Blue Day on Friday, April 6th to raise awareness about Prevent Child Abuse Month. Take a photo of your family or coworkers in blue and post to Fb, Instagram, or Twitter with the hashtag #WearBlue. Share a story of how you advocate for children, push for policies that keep kids safe, or donate time or money to a local child serving organization. Share our WearBlue Facebook event HERE. We hope to inspire others to get involved during Child Abuse Prevention Month. 
 Time is nearing for Congress to reauthorize the maternal, infant and early childhood home visiting (MIECHV) program. The MIECHV program supports families with millions of home visits that strengthen families and communities across the United States. Without reauthorization, these necessary services will be cut for families in need and programs will be unable to reach more families. Children First, Inc.’s SafeCare Home Visiting coordinator, Mary Joyce recently traveled to Washington D.C. with the Home Visiting Coalition to learn how to encourage Congress to extend the MIECHV program for five years with incremental funding increases until the program reaches the funding level of $800 million per year to ensure stability for families, effectiveness of programs, and expansion of resources.
Mary spent three days in D.C. filled with advocacy training, a Seeding Success event and meeting with our community’s legislators. She even had the opportunity for a behind the scene tour of the Capital! Mary chronicled her time in D.C. stating that the attendees were both Home Visitors and Parent Advocates - parents who benefitted from home visiting. A marketing company discussed how to tell your story effectively, how to do a TV interview and how to lobby. Through her lobby training, Mary now understands how to meet someone on their values and get something everyone wants when speaking with our senators and representatives. For example, everyone wants children to benefit positively. Home visiting and SafeCare are a cost-effective way to improve the lives of children and families with a $20 benefit for every dollar spent. This is a great way to connect with fiscal conservatives on this topic. Mary’s key takeaways:
How can you get involved with home visiting?
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2018
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