VNA Awarded $300,000 Parenting Grant
Visiting Nurse Association of Pottawattamie County (VNAPC) has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Charles E. Lakin Foundation to provide support and education to families in need. The three-year grant will be used to support the Early Childhood Home Visitation programs and physician-directed home visits. The programs provide home visits by nurses, social workers, and/or parent coaches to assist at-risk women, children, and young families residing in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
“Mothers enrolled in-home visitation programs are more likely to deliver healthy babies, and their children are less likely to suffer from abuse and neglect,” said James Summerfelt, President & CEO. “Our program improves family relationships and school readiness, reduces child maltreatment, and increases family economic self-sufficiency.”
Pregnant and parenting teens and women in high-risk situations have the greatest need for services. Some are living in significant poverty, are homeless or near homeless, are battling substance abuse, or are suffering physical abuse. “We also find that there is an alarming prevalence of unhealthy relationships and undiagnosed mental health challenges, such as perinatal depression and anxiety. VNAPC’s programs foster independence and high-quality of life, promoting safety in the home for the most vulnerable,” said Summerfelt.
The grant money will be used to build a stronger, healthier community, helping families break the cycles of poverty, ensuring school readiness, and giving hope to families in vulnerable situations.
VNAPC is a subsidiary of Visiting Nurse Association in Omaha, Nebraska, following a merger in 2007. The merger’s consolidation of the back office, leadership staff, and board functions resulted in improved cost efficiencies, sustainability, and an expanded capacity to serve residents of Pottawattamie and surrounding counties in Iowa. Annually, VNAPC serves approximately 1,000 Iowans through home health and hospice care and 900 Iowans through its Community Care programs, like Parenting Support and Homeless Shelter Nursing.
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