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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 105%;">Columbia/Boone County, MO<br />
Public Health & Human Services<br />
1005 W. Worley St., Columbia, MO 65203
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<h2 style="font-size: 200%;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</h2>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">December 14, 2017</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 75px; font-size: 120%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Eric Stann, Community Relations Specialist
<br />(573) 874-7632 or Eric.Stann@CoMo.gov</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:200%;"><h3 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 170%;">Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services awarded national accreditation for Healthy Families America program</h3>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <p style="display: inline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department (PHHS) recently achieved national accreditation through Prevent Child Abuse America for its Healthy Families America (HFA) program. The accreditation recognizes the Columbia/Boone County program as a provider of high quality home visiting services to families who are at risk of adverse childhood outcomes and</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">want to improve their child's health, nutrition and development. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We are pleased and excited to be nationally recognized for our home visiting services," PHHS Director Stephanie Browning said. "Our staff works hard to ensure that the programs and services we provide are as responsive as possible to the needs of our community. With accreditation we are demonstrating that Boone County values reducing childhood abuse, neglect and other adverse childhood experiences." </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The accreditation process is based upon a stringent set of 12 research-based critical elements grounded in more than 30 years of research. The process involves an in-depth examination of the site's operation, data analysis, cultural sensitivity review, as well as the quality of the visits made by HFA home visitors. Home visitors receive extensive training in a wide range of areas that can cause stress and worry to just about every new parent: caring for a new baby, ensuring the baby is receiving the nutrition needed, promoting healthy child development and coping with a myriad of other potential stresses, such as financial, housing, partner relationship, etc., that may become heightened with an addition to the family. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Healthy Families America is an effective and proven evidence-based home visiting program according to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 1992, Prevent Child Abuse America launched the Healthy Families America home visiting model to address high rates of child abuse occurrences to children under five years old. HFA serves families of all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, meeting the needs of close to 600 communities in 40 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Territories and Canada.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We commend the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department for opening itself up to such an intensive review process," HFA National Director Cydney Wessel said. "We believe that all families and all communities deserve access to quality home visiting services."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Columbia/Boone County PHHS is a city/county organization serving the health and social service needs of the Boone County community, with a mission to promote and protect the health, safety, and well-being of the community through leadership, partnership, and service. PHHS is a nationally accredited public health department in the state of Missouri through the Public Health Accreditation Board. </span></p></div>
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<div class="content"><strong>Location:</strong> <a href="https://gis.gocolumbiamo.com/CityView/?find=1005 W Worley St." target="_blank">1005 W Worley St.</a></div>
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<p style="text-align:center;">-30-</p>
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