Early-intervention Prevents Child Abuse and Crime, Promotes Health 3/10/2004
From: Geri Reinhart of LISBOA, Inc., 202-737-2622 ext. 119, or GeriR@lisboa.com News Advisory: WHO: Mothers and their nurses; Sens. Arlen Spector, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barbara Boxer, and Rep. Diana DeGette; and Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. WHAT: RESCHEDULED Nurse-Family Partnership National Forum WHEN: March 11, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. WHERE: Hart Senate Office Building, Room 902, U.S. Senate EDITOR'S NOTE: High resolution, publication-ready photo(s) supporting this story will be available following the event for free editorial use: http://www.wirepix.com/newsphotos/USN Finding: More children under the age of five die from child abuse and neglect than from any other single cause of death for infants and young children (HHS). Finding: There is a money- saving, early-intervention program that reduces child abuse and neglect by 79 percent. On March 11, mothers and their nurses; Senators Arlen Specter, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barbara Boxer and Congresswoman Diana DeGette; federal and state policy makers; and Dr. Risa Lavizzo- Mourey, President and CEO of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will talk about how the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) improves health, reduces crime and helps families find their own strengths to become caring, capable parents. NFP is a voluntary nurse home-visitation program for low- income, first-time mothers and their families. For more than 25 years, NFP has tested and refined a model of care where trained nurses visit at-risk mothers from early pregnancy through the child's second birthday. The visits help families with prenatal care and parenting skills. NFP is the most rigorously tested program of its kind, and it has the strongest research to prove that most child abuse and neglect can be prevented. Randomized controlled trials, the most rigorous type of research, have shown that, supported by regular nurse visits, NFP mothers are less likely to abuse or neglect their children, have subsequent unintended pregnancies, or misuse alcohol or drugs; and they are more likely to transition off welfare and successfully maintain stable employment. As a result, their babies grow up healthier and are less likely in adolescence to commit crimes, use tobacco or alcohol, and engage in sex. ------ Media requests for interviews and more information about the Nurse-Family Partnership National Forum, should be directed to Geri Reinhart at 202-737-2622, ext. 119. For more information about the Nurse-Family Partnership visit http://www.nursefamilypartnership.org. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care, has provided funding for the Nurse-Family Partnership since 1979. |