Young Families Initiative

From 1996 to 2007, PCA Iowa directed a statewide prevention program called the Young Families Initiative (YFI). Financial support for YFI came from an Anonymous donor and the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS). DHS has now re-directed the federal funding it distributed for YFI to a new Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention program that PCA Iowa is now organizing and directing.

PCA Iowa used the extensive network of Iowa's child abuse prevention councils to deliver YFI services. YFI promoted early intervention and support services to reduce the risk of child abuse by:

• Offering assistance to families
• Providing early, comprehensive support for parents
• Promoting the development of parenting skills, especially in young parents and parents with very young children
• Increasing family stability
• Improving family access to other resources and opportunities within their communities
• Supporting the additional needs of families with children with disabilities

In federal fiscal year 2007, the YFI supported projects in 31 counties. Projects varied in their intensity, curricula, structure, and place of delivery (i.e., group- or home-based). A particular goal of YFI was to reach families most at risk or those who may not ordinarily participate in traditional education programs, perhaps because of language barriers. Here is the final report on YFI services.

Following is a brief description of the kinds of projects that Young Families Initiative supported:

1. In-home parent education. Many councils provided home-based instruction to reach families who would not otherwise participate in group-based programs. Most programs used a standard parenting curriculum, such as the Nurturing Program or Parents as Teachers, as an overall guide for instruction but individually tailored instruction and support to best meet family needs.
    
2. Group-based parent education. YFI projects in several counties provided instruction to parents in a group setting. In most counties, projects sought to include families where there may be a greater risk of abuse, such as those headed by teen parents or parents who are low-income or homeless.
    
3. Parent support groups. Some councils offered the opportunity for young parents to meet in groups on a regular basis to discuss the challenges of parenting and offer support to each other. These group sessions usually included free quality child care.
    
4. "Nest" programs. Several councils administered an incentive-based program commonly called "The Nest." This program began serving teens or young adults before a child's birth, encouraging parents to secure early and consistent prenatal care and provide properly for their newborns. The Nest offered classes and resources on a variety of topics, including: prenatal care; child development; healthy nutrition for newborns; and child discipline.

Consistent with the goal of reaching parents who may not ordinarily participate in parenting classes, some councils focused their outreach and programming on dads, families who are homeless, families with parents or children with special needs, and immigrant and/or minority families. As a result, several projects included many people who are traditionally under served.

For general comments and questions, please contact:

Prevent Child Abuse Iowa
505 Fifth Avenue, Suite 900
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Phone: 515-244-2200
Toll Free: 800-237-1815
Fax: 515-280-7835
Email:

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