photo by Find Me Famous

Adding the FUN to fundraising during one of these events is what Prevent Child Abuse America is inviting everyone to do!  A HOUSE PARTY to help raise awareness and funding for this cause.

Healthy Families America is a program that is part of Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA), and before Healthy Families America opened a branch in Indiana, children in our community had to be reported as being abused or neglected FIRST before a family could receive support services.

HealthNet‘s Better Indy Babies (BIBs) and Healthy Families (HF) Programs would love for your PCA America House Party to benefit them!! These two programs work hand in hand to make sure Indianapolis children ages
zero to 5 AND their families have the resources needed for the healthy development and success in the first years of school.

You can learn more about the great things being accomplished by our BIBs/HF staff by reading our introduction post here.

What do you think about throwing a house party
and fundraising at the same time?
Comment below!

The Indiana Youth Institute sent out an issue alert entitled “Kids Raising Kids“, and another surprising fact to accompany the increasing teen birth rates is that one in five of these births is to a teenage girl who already is a mother.

“Children born to teen mothers are more likely than children of older parents to grow up in a poor and mother-only family, to live in a poor or underclass neighborhood, and to experience high risks to both their health status and potential school achievement.”- Issue Alert from Indiana Youth Institute

These children are 50% more likely to be born at a low birth weight and do not perform as well as children of older mothers on measures of child development and school readiness.  With these numbers increasing in Indianapolis, it is important to know what resources are out there for teen mothers in order to help them out.  In a study done by the FSU Center for Prevention & Early Intervention Policy, children born to teen mothers are more likely to experience abuse, neglect, and abandonment.

By raising awareness for HealthNet’s Better Indy Babies (BIBs) and Healthy Families (HF) Programs, we can change the wording of that last sentence.  Learn more about the resources available for teen mothers, or donate directly to BIBs/HF here.

Healthy Families America is a program that is part of Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA), and before Healthy Families America opened a branch in Indiana, children in our community had to be reported as being abused or neglected FIRST before a family could receive support services. Now with HealthNet’s Better Indy Babies (BIBs) and Healthy Families Programs, families are being sought out by an outreach team and offered support BEFORE abuse and neglect can happen.

According to the National Center on Child Abuse Prevention Research, almost 50 out of every 1000 children were taken in by state and local Child Protection Services (CPS) in 2006.  That means almost 3.6 million children in the U.S. and Puerto Rico were alleged to be abused.  I am always wary when I hear research about “allegations;” however, when it comes to child abuse, even being alleged to having abused a child should cause some concern.

PCA invites everyone to have a HOUSE PARTY to help raise awareness and funding for this cause.  A perfect idea for a family gathering during the holidays, or a great way to add some meaning to you campus party!

Many families do some sort of gift exchange or present give-away for Christmas.  What if this year instead of saying, “oooh! you only need to spend $25 dollars on me,” you say, “what if we all donate the $25 dollars to a community program that helps prevent child abuse”?  Just like that, your family of five can raise $125 to help ONE of those 50 children gain support services BEFORE abuse or neglect happens.

What are your thoughts on this “house party” for prevention idea?  Are there other opportunities to host a party to raise funding or awareness for a cause near to your heart?

To learn more about Better Indy Babies/Healthy Families of HealthNet click here or donate directly by clicking here.  Comments welcome!