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TRENTON GROUP HIGHLIGHTS INFANT IMMUNIZATION WEEK
Children’s Futures Shows Higher Immunizations Rates Possible
Trenton, NJ, April 24, 2009— Nearly one million children in the U.S. live without the benefits of full immunization. These children are at risk of serious illness and death from vaccine-preventable diseases. With the nation observing National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) from April 25 through May 2, Children’s Futures (CF) calls upon all parents, caregivers and healthcare providers to ensure New Jersey’s infants and children have been immunized. “National Infant Immunization Week provides a valuable reminder to all families in New Jersey that it is critical to keep their children up-to-date on vaccines and protected from dangerous diseases,” said Floyd K. Morris, Jr. president of Children’s Futures. “The key to reaching the maximum number of children is coordinating the efforts of parents, doctors, community organizations and government agencies– true collaboration translates into healthier children.” CF, a Trenton-based nonprofit collaborative dedicated to improving childhood health and school readiness, has had particular success in promoting immunizations in the zero to three age range. Six years of CF research and data collection indicates progress is possible in boosting children’s immunization rates. In 2008, for example, 240 of Trenton’s pregnant women were cared for by one of two Children’s Futures evidence-based home visiting programs: The Healthy Families Program, which provides home visitation to pregnant women or families with children, and The Nurse Family Partnership Program which serves first-time, low income pregnant women. Virtually 100% of children in home visitation were on target with immunizations. “National Infant Immunization Week provides a valuable reminder to all families in New Jersey that it is critical to keep their children up-to-date on vaccines and protected from dangerous diseases,” said Floyd K. Morris, Jr. president of Children’s Futures. “The key to reaching the maximum number of children is coordinating the efforts of parents, doctors, community organizations and government agencies– true collaboration translates into healthier children.” CF’s partnership with the Pediatric Council on Research and Education (PCORE) Foundation of The New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics has also helped 11 primary care practices in Trenton implement and measure office-based improvements to promote early childhood prevention issues such as immunizations. About National Infant Immunization Week National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrate the achievements of immunization programs and their partners in promoting healthy communities. Since 1994, NIIW has served as a call to action for parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers to ensure that infants are fully immunized against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases About Children’s Futures Children’s Futures Inc. (CF) is a nationally recognized, Trenton, New Jersey-based nonprofit organization created to improve health and developmental outcomes for children so that they may enter school healthy and ready to learn. Children’s Futures began in 2001 with support that continues from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans. To accomplish its mission, CF partners with major universities and colleges, corporations, foundations, governmental institutions, and other funders to advance evidence-based projects and other necessary functions to improve health and development outcomes for children and families. Core to Children’s Futures is its role in Trenton directing a seven-year collaboration of health, social service, and educational institutions that work together to implement innovative approaches to improving child health and development at scale. A state-of-the-art data management system serves as the foundation of the CF Collaborative. It is the basis on which cross-sector inter-agency decisions are coordinated to achieve specific health outcome objectives. As a major catalyst for change, CF also advocates for important policy initiatives to improve maternal and child health; convenes local stakeholders to model best practices on early childhood development; provides technical assistance and training for service providers; and serves as a clearinghouse of objective child health information. Because of its comprehensive approach and results orientation, CF has received local, statewide and national recognition as a model agency for early care and education. |