 | Press ReleaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2006 Contact: Jim Philipps 202.942.4220 Solano and Sutter Counties Win Counties Care for Kids Awards
Washington, D.C. – Recognizing that children are the nation’s most precious resource, NACo recently honored two California counties for their exemplary support of children and families. Solano and Sutter counties were recently the recipients of NACo’s Counties Care for Kids Awards. NACo presents the Counties Care for Kids Awards to highlight the critical role that counties play in early childhood development and school readiness, and to further develop the leadership of county officials across the country. The awards were presented in conjunction with National County Government Week. “NACo is proud to give national recognition to Solano and Sutter counties for supporting children and families in their communities,” said NACo President Bill Hansell. “Too many children are not getting the care and protection they deserve, but in these two communities, their county government is looking out for them.” Solano County - Integrated Family Support Initiative
Solano County’s multi-disciplinary Integrated Family Support Initiative (IFSI) provides seamless family support services to families with children up to age 5 who are at risk of child abuse and neglect. Through community partnerships, IFSI home visits assist families with basic needs, education, employment, family functioning, health education, income maintenance, legal services and access to medical and mental health care.
Measured positive family outcomes have increased significantly under IFSI. Since July, 2000, no fewer than 3,740 families, with 9,365 children, have been served by this collaborative of the Solano County Department of Health and Social Services, the Children’s Network of Solano County, First 5 Solano, the Family Resource Network of Solano and more than 20 other partners. Operating in each of the county’s seven cities, IFSI provides a coordinated system of prevention and family support activities, while mirroring the diversity and uniqueness of the families it serves. Sutter County - Sutter County Smiles Sutter County Smiles, in partnership with the Peach Tree Clinic, Inc. and Yuba City Unified School District, provides mobile dental services to children up to age 6 at various sites throughout Sutter County. The effort focuses on children with no “dental home” and accepts Healthy Families, CHDP, and MediCal, but also provides services to children with no insurance. The effort is a full scope dental practice providing screenings, x-rays, pulpotomy (root canal), extractions, fillings, amalgam crowns, prescriptions and dental care education. The goal of the project is to improve children’s oral health which in turn will lead to better school functioning for children in the first years of school. More information about the Counties Care for Kids Awards is available at http://www.naco.org/awards. |