Six Communities Awarded Project LAUNCH Grants

This Fall, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded an estimated $19 million in Project LAUNCH grants to six communities. From El Paso, Texas to Plainville, Connecticut the grantees will implement a wide range of public health strategies that address the physical, social, and behavioral aspects of child development. The six lead organizations receiving SAMHSA funding are: Aliviane, Inc.,Fund for Public Health in New York, Multnomah Education Service District,North Colorado Health Alliance, The Curators of the University of Missouri, and Wheeler Clinic, Inc.   In April, the Financing Community Change blog posted details of the Project LAUNCH opportunity which encourages grantees to:

• Promote the use of culturally relevant, evidence-based programs and practices by child-serving organizations
• Offer training and education to ensure that families, providers, and other adults caring for young children have the knowledge and skills to promote healthy child development
• Engage families, the faith community, business leaders, cultural organizations, and other local leaders in planning, implementing, and evaluating Project LAUNCH activities
• Collect data and evaluate the effectiveness of services
• Raise public awareness about the importance of healthy development of young children and the community’s role in promoting it

For more information.