Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
Abstract – Building Better Bridges to Optimal Health The SC Center for Fathers and Families (The Center) in collaboration with the SC Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ) will deliver an integrated approach and robust set of services designed to impact the optimal health of youth served in the SC Department of Juvenile Justice’s (DJJ) long-term facilities and those in the community under supervision. The collaborative model Building Better Bridges to Optimal Health identifies and addresses leverage points in the system including risk factors for the target population and the delivery of evidence-based and evidence informed content that will increase youth awareness of the impact of early pregnancy and move them towards optimal health through making more informed decisions. DJJ youth comprise a population that is largely underserved and has not been a primary focus for interventions in teen pregnancy initiatives in SC to date. The three-year project will serve 300 youth each year that are in long-term facilities and in the community under DJJ supervision in targeted counties of Union, Greenville, Spartanburg, Richland, Lexington, Dorchester, Charleston and Berkeley. It includes a six months’ planning period led by a state Leadership Team and will include refining the model, ensuring youth and parents are involved in local advisory groups, and training for the Center and DJJ to ensure the evidence-based curriculum and project model is delivered with fidelity. SC has a high number of youths that come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, single families and families with violence or substance abuse – all factors that contribute to more risk taking and potential pregnancy. One in four children in the state live in poverty, nearly 21,000 children were involved in founded investigations of child maltreatment, 30% of parents lack secure employment, 16% of teens are not graduating on time and 7% of teens are not in school and not working (SC Kids Count 2019). Another factor influencing children’s wellbeing is that 40% of children live in single parent families compared to 34% nationally. At the root of many of these issues is father absence. The SC Center for Fathers and Families has an 18 year history of working with low-income fathers and teens to achieve economic self-sufficiency and improve relationships with children and family. This project fits within the mission of the Center as it is focused on helping a high-risk population make better choices and prepare for their future ultimately leading to optimal health.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
