Children's Futures

Children's Futures is dedicated to improving health and development al outcomes for children and their families in Trenton, New Jersey. They lead a collaboration of public, private, and community organizations with a unified goal of creating a healthy life for every child in Trenton. The organization is comprised of the following programs: Home Visitation, Family Success/ Parent Child Centers, Behavioral Health Services, Domestic Violence Prevention, Educating Physicians in the Community, Reach Out and Read, and Training Program for Child Care Providers.

Children's Futures focuses on four major program objectives: (1) strengthen parenting, (2) improve primary care systems, (3) improve childcare systems, and (4) integrate community support. Special focus is given to serving vulnerable populations and preventing problem behaviors like gang violence, domestic violence and drug and alcohol abuse.

Children's Futures' mission is to improve child health and developmental outcomes through public-private collaboration.

During 2009, Children's Future provided case management services, pregnancy tests, referrals and other community services to 3,667 unduplicated clients through the Family Success/Parent Child Centers, as well as mental health services to 248 individuals through Greater Trenton Behavioral HealthCare. In addition, they provided technical assistance for using the Quality Rating & Improvement System tool to four centers (up to 300 families) and 15 family providers (up to 75 children) through the Child Care Connections program.

From 2003 to 2009, the rate of prematurity decreased from 10% to 8.9% and the low birth weight rate decreased from nearly 13% to 10.9% for women enrolled in the home visitation program. In 2009, the program's training for community physicians increased participant knowledge on the prevention of pediatric obesity by 30%.