Advocates Applaud State Investments in Home Visiting

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Even with the current fiscal crisis facing our states and our nation there is some good news for Ohio's youngest children and their families.  The State Fiscal Years 2012 and 2013 budget provides $33,674,000 in funding for Help Me Grow.

"Governor Kasich and the Ohio General Assembly showed a clear commitment in this budget to investing in targeted prevention to reduce costs for public and private systems.  Home visiting programs make sure our most vulnerable children are safe, healthy and nurtured in their homes, and increase their chance for success in school and life," stated Margaret Hulbert, Vice President of the Greater Cincinnati United Way, and Chair of The Ohio Partnership to Build Stronger Families.

Smart investments in home visiting programs for new mothers and babies have been proven to produce positive outcomes that deliver measurable savings in future mental health and criminal justice costs, decreased dependence on welfare and increased employment.  In addition, states and communities investing in proven home visiting programs should also see cost savings by preventing hospitalizations and the medical expenses related to low birth weight babies.

Home visiting services connect the child and family to resources during pregnancy and throughout the child's first three years so parents get support for their family.  Families receiving Help Me Grow services get practical advice on taking care of babies, answers to their questions about health, nutrition and babies' development, and screenings for weight, nutrition and developmental delays.

"Home visiting can make sure our most vulnerable children are safe, healthy and nurtured in their homes today and, as a result, avoid crime tomorrow," Hulbert continued.

The Ohio Partnership to Build Stronger Families is a broad-based group of individuals and organizations in Ohio that advocates for smart investments in quality, home-based programs for new and expectant families.  For more information about their work, go to:  www.theohiopartnership.org.

Contact:  Margaret Hulbert, Vice President, Strategic Resources & Public Policy, 513-266-2961

SOURCE The Ohio Partnership to Build Stronger Families