Prevention Advocacy Named ‘Pioneer’

Written by Victoria Berryhill

Children are our future. It’s that simple. The people who will one day run the world are currently our youngest and most vulnerable.

The well-being of children is essential in SAFE’s ongoing efforts to end sexual assault and exploitation, child abuse, and domestic violence for everyone.

At the end of July, SAFE’s Prevention Advocacy program was named a Pioneer in the Children’s Wellbeing Initiative, offered through Ashoka Changemakers and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Being named a Pioneer is an honor. It shows that SAFE is thinking holistically when it comes to healing families and generations of individuals who have experienced trauma…

As a Pioneer, SAFE is recognized as a leader in the ongoing discussion on the importance of creating a culture that truly values the well-being of children.

After conducting a thorough screening of 284 entries, staff of Ashoka, along with peers and reviewers, selected SAFE’s Prevention Advocacy program, and more than 120 other programs throughout the country, as Pioneers in the Children’s Wellbeing Initiative. Recognition as a Pioneer is the first step to becoming one of 10 Champions.

Shellie Ryan, Prevention Advocacy Manager at SAFE, said being named a Pioneer is an honor.

“It shows that SAFE is thinking holistically when it comes to healing families and generations of individuals who have experienced trauma,” Ryan said. “Being able to create innovative programming to serve both children and their families offers opportunities for growth, healing, and change for families in our community.”

In selecting Prevention Advocacy as a Pioneer, reviewers considered 2015 program highlights, among which were:

100% of Project HOPES clients reported they gained parenting skills.
98% of attendees of Positive & Protective Parenting class attendees reported the classes expanded their knowledge.
98% of Domestic Violence 101 class attendees reported the classes expanded their knowledge.
100% of program clients reported their awareness of resources/options increased.
55 households were served last year by the Prevention Advocacy program.

89 parents and their children received help from Project HOPES (Healthy Outcomes through Prevention and Early Support), a component of the program.

And 2016 program projections:

We anticipate 80 households will be served by Prevention Advocacy this year.
Project HOPES is expected to assist 55 parents and their children.
As many as 400 people are expected to attend Positive & Protective Parenting classes this year.

Being able to create innovative programming to serve both children and their families offers opportunities for growth, healing, and change for families in our community.

Ryan said the innovative work SAFE does “can make changes for generations and can act as a model program for other communities.” She added, “The generosity of our donors and the flexible thinking that SAFE encourages inspires staff to create change-making programs like Prevention Advocacy and many other programs throughout our agency.”

Over the next couple months, the current entries in the Children’s Wellbeing Initiative will be narrowed down to 10 Champions that will receive funds from a pool of $48,000. Champions will also receive mentorship from Ashoka and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s networks.

Following the final announcement in October, funders, thought leaders, and social entrepreneurs will attend an event, where the final 10 will showcase their work as Champions in the field of children’s well-being. SAFE doesn’t plan to stop at making Prevention Advocacy a Pioneer in children’s well-being; we hope to be a Champion in the field, too.

SAFE’s Prevention Advocacy Program

Prevention Advocacy provides child abuse and family violence prevention, fatherhood services, case management, education programs, and many other resources all aimed at building safe, resilient, and supportive environments where parents and their children can grow.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health, supporting research and programs that target some of America’s most pressing health issues – from substance abuse to improving access to quality health care. Learn more at http://www.rwjf.org/.

The Children’s Wellbeing Initiative

The Children’s Wellbeing Initiative was launched with Ashoka Changemakers, a global network of social entrepreneurs, innovators, business leaders, policy makers, and activists. Learn more at https://network.changemakers.com/content/childrenswellbeing.