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CONTACT: Stephanie Marquis, Department of Health Services, 608-266-1683
Kawanza Newson, City of Milwaukee Health Department, 414-286-3548
Child Wellness and Prevention
Program Starts Today in Milwaukee
Project LAUNCH to Expand and Enhance Wellness Services for Young Children
and Families
MADISON - The Department of Health Services announces a new
partnership with the City of Milwaukee Health Department to help improve
the health of young children and their families in Milwaukee. Project
LAUNCH will promote the wellness of children from birth to 8 years of age
by addressing the physical, emotional, social, cognitive and behavioral
aspects of their development.
“The better start we can give our children, the healthier and happier
they will be as adolescents and adults,” says DHS Secretary Karen
Timberlake. “We want to give our families and children the support they
need. Project LAUNCH will target families burdened with issues associated
with poverty including a high percentage of infants born at low birth
weight, late entry of pregnant women into prenatal care, childhood lead
poisoning, high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, high rates of
unemployment, lack of education, excessive use of drugs, high crime rates,
and high teen pregnancy rate.”
“The City of Milwaukee Health Department will use a wide range of
evidence-based public health strategies to ensure the wellness of children
in our community,” says City of Milwaukee Health Commissioner of Health
Bevan Baker. “These strategies will expand services provided through our
Empowering Families of Milwaukee and Nurse-Family Partnership home
visitation programs and will include the provision of mental health
consultation for childcare and early education providers, integration of
behavioral health and primary care, developmental assessments, family
strengthening programs, and parenting skills training.”
“In addition, the Health Department will coordinate a Young Child
Wellness Council in Milwaukee to develop a comprehensive child wellness
system of care within the city,” Baker says. The Council will consist of
representatives from public health, private health systems, mental health
providers, child welfare, early childhood agencies, and local family
resource centers.
Project LAUNCH will work with expectant and parenting families and
their children from birth up to 8 years old living in 53204, 53205, 53206,
53208, 53210, 53212, 53218, and 53233 zip codes.
Wisconsin was one of twelve states to receive a Project LAUNCH grant
from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA), which
provides grants in the amount of $850,000 each year. Wisconsin’s Project
LAUNCH grant begins today, October 1, 2009, and will be available for the
next five years through 2014. DHS will contract with the Center for Urban
Population Health to undertake SAMHSA’s required evaluation of this
project.
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Last Revised: October 01, 2009 |
