September 2016 OPFF Newsletter

children reading

The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida is proud to partner with the Florida Department of Health to promote Reach Out and Read through the distribution of the Love Baby Healthy book series published by Blue Manatee Press. Reach Out and Read gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together.

Doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals incorporate Reach Out and Read's evidence-based, three-part model into regular pediatric checkups:

Trained doctors and nurses speak with parents about the importance of reading aloud, starting in infancy.
At each regular checkup from 6 months through 5 years of age, the child receives a new book to take home.
Many Reach Out and Read program sites create literacy-rich environments that include gently-used books for waiting room use and/or volunteer readers to model for parents the techniques of reading aloud to young children.

As a result of this intervention at the doctor's office, parents become more engaged and read to their children more often at home. Research shows that children served by Reach Out and Read score three to six months ahead of their non-Reach Out and Read peers on vocabulary tests. These early language skills help children succeed when they enter school.

The program serves nearly 4.5 million children and their families across the nation, with a special emphasis on serving those in low-income communities. In June 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared literacy promotion to be an "essential component of pediatric care" for all children, referencing Reach Out and Read as an effective intervention to engage parents and prepare children to achieve their potential in school and beyond.

Blue Manatee Press creates excellent children’s books that convey important health information to families of infants and young children in a readable, nurturing way. Love Baby Healthy is a series of board books designed to be not only soothing read-alouds for babies, but also important learning tools for parents. Covering topics such as SIDS and Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention, breastfeeding, early literacy, and developmental milestones, the books in this series are perfect for new parents (or any parents) who want to ensure that the story for their children is a happy and healthy one.

children holding hands

The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida is proud to introduce our new web site! Please visit www.ounce.org

2016 Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic and Black Tie Gala

Chris Evert Charities will host the Annual Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic and Black Tie Gala on November 18-20, which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for programs that serve Florida’s most vulnerable children and families. Every dollar raised during this weekend event is joined with public dollars through the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, bringing the total contributed since 1989 to over $20 million.

The Ounce of Prevention Fund combines public and private funding to invest in a variety of innovative prevention programs that provide measurable benefits for children, families and communities throughout Florida. Many of Florida’s children and families now have a brighter future thanks to the ongoing efforts of Chris Evert Charities and the Ounce of Prevention Fund.

To find out more about the 2016 Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic and Black Tie Gala, visit www.chrisevert.org .

Speaker-Designate Richard Corcoran Recognized for His Commitment to Florida’s Families
Doug Jennifer and Corcoran

Doug Jennifer and Corcoran

Congressman Daniel Webster and Healthy Families Florida presented the Daniel Webster Leadership Award to Representative Richard Corcoran, incoming speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. The award is named in honor of Congressman Daniel Webster who, as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives in 1998, led the legislative creation of Healthy Families Florida, an evidence-based child abuse prevention program. To learn more, visit http://www.healthyfamiliesfla.org/webster_award.html

Healthy Families Florida Distributes Zika Prevention Kits
The Zika virus is now being spread by mosquitoes in Florida. Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus and can cause devastating birth defects. Zika can also be transmitted sexually. Florida families, especially pregnant women and their babies, are at risk of life-changing health consequences from the Zika virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and the Florida Department of Health recommend a Zika prevention kit to help families stop transmission of the virus. Many families in our state face barriers, such as lack of transportation, to access prevention resources and health care. Healthy Families Florida has launched an effort to get prevention supplies and critical information about Zika directly in the hands of Florida. HFF Logo

Healthy Families Florida has purchased prevention items including insect repellent, bed nets and standing water treatment tabs. Healthy Families’ network of trusted family support workers has begun distributing to families who participate in Healthy Families programs in 11 Florida counties.

Financial support and resources for this project have been pledged from the Florida Blue Foundation, Spearman Family Foundation, Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions, Florida District of Kiwanis, philanthropists from the Ounce of Prevention Fund’s Board of Directors and other Florida businesses. The Ounce of Prevention Fund has also engaged the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department of Children and Families to provide print materials, a small number of complete kits designated for pregnant women and a small amount of funding to purchase kit materials. Kiwanis and Key Clubs across the state have recruited volunteers to assemble the kits for distribution by Healthy Families Florida. For more information about this project, contact Jennifer Ohlsen.

For more information on Healthy Families Florida visit, www.healthyfamilies fla .org

First Lady Ann Scott Kicks Off Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign

P4P Ann Scott

First Lady Ann Scott hosted children and guests at the Florida Governor’s Mansion to kick off the 2016 Pinwheels for Prevention campaign in recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Pinwheels for Prevention promotes healthy, happy childhoods for all children. More than 70,000 blue and silver pinwheels were planted across Florida in conjunction with National Child Abuse Prevention Month observances in April.

Florida’s First Lady Ann Scott said, “As a mother and grandmother, it is incredibly important to me that children in Florida are safe and have the opportunity to get a great education. We must continue working every day to ensure families receive the support and resources they need to thrive. I am honored to participate in such a wonderful cause during Florida’s Child Abuse Prevention Month to support more children across Florida and the nation. My hope is that every child can achieve their dreams and have a happy childhood in Florida.”

Florida’s Pinwheels for Prevention campaign is part of a national movement to change the way we think about prevention by emphasizing the important role individuals, businesses, government agencies and community and faith-based organizations play in healthy child, family and community development. The campaign symbol, a blue and silver pinwheel, is a reminder of the happy childhoods and bright futures all children deserve. The campaign is a partnership of the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, the Florida Department of Children and Families, Prevent Child Abuse Florida and numerous community partners.

For more information about Pinwheels for Prevention visit, http://www.ounce.org/CAPMonth.html

AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com. The difference is that when customers shop on AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida. Thank you for helping to make a difference in the lives of Florida's children and families. Amazon Smiles Logo