FOR POLICYMAKERS

Upstream investment in children and families pays off!

Policymakers, state leaders, and legislators can support state local programmatic efforts such as Maine Prevention Councils and Maine Families Home Visiting which allows Maine communities to implement efforts tailored to the needs of their families. These programs serve as gateways for families to access important supports, stabilize crises, and promote positive physical, mental, and behavioral health, and more!

Maine Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Councils

Maine Children's Trust has supported the prevention efforts of the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Councils since the 1990's with grant funding, public awareness and technical assistance. Since 2008, the Maine Department of Human Services (Maine DHHS) has executed agreements with the Trust to lead and coordinate a statewide project to prevent child abuse and neglect. In 2015, Maine DHHS provided funding to develop a formal statewide infrastructure for the Prevention Councils. Through this effort, the Trust supports the Prevention Councils in their statutory role as the county-level coordinating entity to lead and deliver child abuse prevention efforts.

The Prevention Council statute guides the Trust in providing central statewide leadership, strengthen the network and ensure ongoing delivery of free evidence-based and evidence-informed child abuse programming in every county in Maine.

A toolkit has been developed to guide data evaluation, integrate data with community feedback and develop prevention plans and priorities. The Trust provides a centralized data system, core programming training and technical assistance to ensure consistency in service delivery, as well as model fidelity.

Each Prevention Council has a local Advisory Board/Committee comprised of diverse community leaders to include businesses, legislators/policymakers, parents/caregivers, providers, and other family-serving professionals. Over 300 community members serve across the state in this role working to support their local communities to ensure child and family well-being and primary prevention efforts are focused on.

To connect with your local Prevention Council please visit our local resources map here.

Funding for the Prevention Councils is provided by the Department of Health and Human Services: Office of Child and Family Services.

Maine Families Home Visiting

The family visiting model developed and delivered by Maine Families is designed to promote child and family well-being. Maine Families uses current information regarding child development, health, safety, and nutrition that is based in sound research and practical knowledge of human development and public health. The program supports expectant families and families of newborns statewide. Maine Families' goals for enrolled children and families include:

• Nurturing families and their relationships
  
• Promoting positive and effective parenting
  
• Encouraging healthy living, considering all aspects of development
  
• Providing guidance in creating positive and creative learning environments
  
• Protecting children from violence, abuse and neglect
  
• Protecting children from preventable illness and injury
  
• Providing connections to needed resources and the community
  
• Encouraging family self-sufficiency
  

With this focused agenda, Maine Families is addressing the national public health priorities at the state and local levels while considering the unique needs of families in Maine. Maine Families' public health approach emphasizes prevention and early intervention while operating in a comprehensive, collaborative, community-based milieu.

Since 2006 Maine Families has incorporated the Touchpoints approach. We enhanced the existing family visiting infrastructure through training and mentoring in order to create sustainable and viable communities of practice for all child and family serving providers and agencies.

Touchpoints provides the framework for developing a seamless system of care by integrating the work of providers through a common language and approach to better meet the needs of children and families. Touchpoints provides the strategies and skills for providers to truly join the family's system and to support families by helping them to identify and use their strengths to address their challenges, and to identify and connect with their natural supports.

To connect with your local Maine Families please find us here.

Maine Families 2024 Summary Report
Maine Families 2023 Summary Report
Maine Families 2022 Summary Report

This website is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $6,264,897, with 0 percentage financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. The website is also supported by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Disease Control and Prevention.