INVEST IN KIDS
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Mission Statement
Invest in Kids' (IIK) mission is to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable young children and families throughout Colorado. Working in partnership with local communities, we identify, introduce, implement, and ensure the success of research-based, proven programs.
About This Cause
Since 1999, it has been the mission of Invest in Kids to partner with communities to improve the health and well-being of young children in Colorado - particularly those of low-income families - through research-based programs proven to be effective. What makes Invest in Kids different is our unique approach to finding, delivering and measuring the effectiveness of the programs we provide. * First, we identify programs with proven track records or methodologies for success. * Second, we introduce these programs to communities to see where and how they can net the greatest impact. * Third, we implement the programs through agency partners, in collaboration with community leaders and other key constituents. * Lastly, we ensure each program's ongoing success through strict adherence to guidelines and measurement of results. Through this process, we have identified and implemented two programs: Nurse-Family Partnership and The Incredible Years. Nurse-Family Partnership is an evidence-based, nurse home visitation program that improves the health, well-being and self-sufficiency of low-income, first-time parents and their children. The program entails nurses visiting mothers in their homes on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, starting early in pregnancy and continuing until the child's second birthday. The program produces improved pregnancy outcomes, better child health and development and more economic self-sufficiency for the families who participate. The Incredible Years addresses early onset behavioral problems, reducing children's aggression and increasing social competence at home and at school. For teachers and children: "Dinosaur School" targets problems that trouble kids the most. Teachers attend training workshops where they have the opportunity to discuss strategies for developing positive relationships with children by offering them the personal attention they need. For parents: at facilitated, weekly discussion groups, adults learn strategies to increase nurturing parenting skills and decrease their children's oppositional behaviors. Both programs are scientifically proven through over 30 years of rigorous research to produce immediate and lasting impact. Some of the results seen in 2014 include: Nurse-Family Partnership: - 3,386 mothers benefited from the program - 90% of babies born at or above healthy birthweight - 91% immunization rate and breastfeeding initiation - 50% reduction in violence at home - 29% reduction in alcohol use - 21% reduction in cigarette smoking The Incredible Years: - 8,500 children benefited from the program - 99% of parents reported that the program resolved the issue that prompted them to enroll. - Increases in children's social competence - Improvement in children's academic skills - Decreases in stress associated with teaching - Decreases in use of negative parenting (physical punishment). While we have made significant gains over the last 15 years, current data suggests this work is needed more than ever before. According to the 2014 edition of KIDS COUNT in Colorado, since 2000 only two states have seen a larger percentage increase in the number of children living in poverty than Colorado. Among all Colorado children, those under the age of six are most likely to be in poverty (one in five children). The American Journal of Pediatrics and many others have documented the connection between poverty and a higher likelihood of experiencing toxic stress and related mental health issues. According to the American Medical Association, for the first time in history the top five disabilities facing children in the U.S. are mental health problems rather than physical ones. Adults with mental, behavioral, or development problems as children missed more school, had fewer educational opportunities, and worked an average of seven fewer weeks per year translating to a 37% decline in family income. Further, the Early Childhood Leadership Commission 2013 Annual Report highlights decades of research showing high-quality early learning and care programs increase kindergarten readiness. However, in Colorado 16,000 children arrive in kindergarten classrooms each year unprepared to keep pace with their peers. How Invest in Kids Counteracts the Effects of Poverty: Invest in Kids implements programs with proven effectiveness - in other words, programs that have been documented to produce life changing outcomes through a minimum of twenty years of clinical, scientific research. Just some of our program outcomes include: - 48% reduction in child abuse and neglect; - 29% decrease of subsequent births among first-time, low-income mothers; - Significant increases in school readiness and academic achievement among 3-5 year old children; - Significant increases in the employment of first-time, low-income mothers at an average age of 19; - 59% decrease in future arrest rates of program participants (program intervention ending at age 2, follow up at age 15); - 91% success rate in reduction of child conduct problems both at school and in the home among 3-5 year old children; - 92% success rate in improvement of program participants' (3-5 year old children) social skills associated with protection against later development of juvenile delinquency and other problem outcomes. Invest in Kids was founded by a group of attorneys and other community leaders who were concerned about the increasing achievement gap between higher and lower income children and the increasing number of serious crimes committed by kids from a low-income background. This unique team of professional and socially-minded individuals helped create the foundation of standards and execution essential to our high level of effectiveness. Over the years, that commitment to success has not wavered. Today, our board of directors still enjoys the active participation of seven founding members.