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Chicago Safe Start
Chicago, IL
Lead Agency: Chicago Department of Public Health
Safe Start Staff:
- Ann Parry, Director, Office of Violence Prevention, Chicago Department
of Public Health
- Marlita White, Safe Start Project Director
- Erica Davis-Robinson, Education Coordinator
- Ebony Dill, Implementation Coordinator
- Paul Schewe, Local Evaluator, Dept. of Psychology, University of Illinois,
Chicago
Organizational Chart (pdf)
October Newsletter (pdf)
For more information, please contact Marlita White, Project Director,
at (312) 747-9396, or visit Chicago's Safe Start website at
http://chicagosafestart.net.
Project Purpose:
Chicago Safe Start is a new federally funded, five-year initiative to
prevent and reduce the impact of exposure to violence on children ages
zero to five. Chicago Safe Start will serve young children and those responsible
for their care by preventing violence before it occurs and minimizing
the consequences of violence when it does occur. Chicago Safe Start will
achieve this through system-wide and community-based prevention and response
services that link and build on existing resources, engage additional
resources, and build enduring partnerships among all parties involved
with young children. The result will be safer and healthier families,
and, when needed, sustained and appropriate responses to the ongoing needs
of children exposed to violence. Chicago Safe Start is a collaboration
of community residents and organizations, city and state agencies working
together to serve young children and those responsible for their care
by preventing violence before it occurs and minimizing the consequences
when it does. Chicago Safe Start is located in the Office of Violence
Prevention in the Chicago Department of Public Health. The project is
advised by the Chicago Safe Start Council and the Implementation Advisory
Board.
Project Goals:
- Children who are at risk of or who have been exposed to violence are
supported by caregivers, families and communities to ameliorate the
effects of such exposure
- Caregivers, families, system and community service providers are aware
of the impact of exposure to violence on young children, know the signs
and symptoms, and how to help or get help
- A full continuum of coordinated services is available at the community
level to address the range of needs for children and families
- The government and private sector institutions and systems that interact
with children recognize their role in serving children exposed to violence
and collaborate with other organizations to provide a seamless system
of care
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