Kristi House awarded major grant from Florida Blue Foundation for child safety and health program
Kristi House has been awarded a $302,000 grant for prevention and intervention work in underserved south Miami-Dade County, building upon Kristi House’s priority focus on better serving those in our southern-most communities.
Child Safety Champions will provide a comprehensive, three-year child safety program targeting children, parents and professionals. The program was developed to increase awareness and prevention of child trauma resulting from sexual or physical abuse, sex trafficking, bullying, cyber dangers or exposure to violence.
Kristi House specialists will present prevention education classes in schools and provide specialized trainings to professionals and adults in the community. All will be underpinned by a Spanish-language TV campaign in partnership with Univision. All those who need services will get help from Kristi House’s expert therapists treating child trauma, at no cost to families.
“While Kristi House serves as the Child Advocacy Center for all of Miami-Dade, many children and families in our sprawling county encompassing more than 2,000 square miles face major barriers to accessing services due to distance, traffic conditions and inadequate public transit to get to one of Kristi House’s five locations,” CEO Claudia Kitchens said.
“Naturally, we are thrilled that Florida Blue Foundation recognized that children and adults in deep south Miami-Dade would greatly benefit from the programs and services of Kristi House,” she said.
In addition to services for child sexual abuse, Kristi House uses evidence-based practices to treat physical abuse, child sex trafficking, children with problematic sexual behaviors and children and youth with substance use disorders and trauma.
The three-year grant from Florida Blue will enable Kristi House to present safety programs geared for children at different grade levels, as well as work with community agencies and other service providers on the front lines of serving children and families who might also be experiencing trauma.
Evaluation of the project and its effectiveness will be conducted by Maureen C. Kenny, Ph.D., Professor of Counselor Education at Florida International University and nationally recognized for her child abuse expertise.
As a federal SAMHSA grantee since 2012, Kristi House is dedicated to training others in the community and delivering evidence-based, culturally competent interventions for child victims overcoming trauma, especially related to sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation.
Kristi House is accredited by the Council on Accreditation and National Children’s Alliance. Kristi House is also a member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, the preeminent national body for collaborating professionals dealing with child trauma, affording significant resources for our community.
About Florida Blue Foundation
Florida Blue Foundation enables healthy communities by making grants, building coalitions and rewarding best practices. More than three million people in Florida have received direct health services as a result of grants made to nonprofit organizations since its founding in 2001. Florida Blue Foundation is a trade name of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation, Inc., an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.floridabluefoundation.com.