Blog, Press Releases

Family & Children’s Place receives $5,000 for HANDS program

January 4, 2016

Fred B. and Opal S. Woosley Foundation funds will help give babies best start possible

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan. 4, 2016) – The Fred B. and Opal S. Woosley Foundation has awarded a $5,000 grant to Family & Children’s Place. The funds will help support the agency’s Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) program, which works with new and first-time parents to give babies the best start possible.

The Fred B. & Opal S. Woosley Foundation, which provides civic and social support in the Louisville area, has partnered with Family & Children’s Place since 1994 to help at-risk children and to teach families to take proactive steps to create a happy, healthy, productive family unit.

Through HANDS, home visitation staff works with expectant and new “at risk” parents. Using the “Growing Great Kids” curriculum, endorsed by Healthy Families America, staff helps families build healthy, safe environments for the optimal growth and development of their children.

As an intervention, HANDS is proven effective. Compared to other new at-risk parents (not participating in the program) HANDS participants have a lower incidence of low birth weight, fewer premature births, fewer very low birth weights and fewer developmental delays. HANDS families also show greater understanding of child safety practices, and build better coping skills, stronger support systems, utilize proven discipline techniques, and maintain steady anger management skills.

All of this provides participants with an exceptional foundation for forming a healthy family. Healthy families form strong communities, which make brighter futures for all of us.

# # #

Family & Children’s Place works to protect Kentuckiana children, families and communities from abuse, neglect and exploitation and, through research-based, trauma-informed services, help them heal. The organization has supported families for more than 127 years and today serves approximately 5,000 children and families annually. For more information about Family and Children’s Place, visit www.famchildplace.org or call 502-893-3900.