Contact:
Sharyn Wisniewski, (608) 267-882
David Carlson, (608) 242-6424
Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk will give welcoming remarks and discuss
the county’s commitment to preventing child abuse and neglect at a forum
being sponsored by the Network for Healthy Families-Dane County and the Dane
County UW Extension. The Dane County Summit to Prevent Child Abuse and
Neglect will be held from 8:30 a.m. to Noon on Thursday, May 27th at the
Pyle Center, 702 Langdon Street in Madison.
“We need to do everything in our power to make sure kids get started on the
right track and stay there and that parents have the tools they need to help
make good choices for their children,” said Falk, who also will discuss her
recently announced Allied Drive Early Childhood Initiative.
The summit is being held in response to Governor Jim Doyle’s recent
statewide conference on child abuse and neglect, to give the Governor Dane
County’s perspective on these issues. It will also give organizations that
work with children and families in Dane County an opportunity to meet and
share ideas on how they can work more closely.
“We have developed some exceptional programs in Dane County to help children
and families. Our Joining Forces for Families (JFF) program, which provides
a comprehensive approach to services, and our First Steps initiative that is
helping families with newborns and young children are two such programs,”
said Falk.
“Over the past year, we did an extensive nationwide review of the best to
strengthen and sustain healthy families,” said Falk. “We are applying what
we have learned in our new Allied Drive Early Childhood Initiative, and to
make our programs even more effective elsewhere.”
Organizers of the Dane County Summit to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect hope
that the ideas and perspectives that come out of this week’s event will help
shape state priorities on child abuse and neglect.
The Network for Healthy Families-Dane County is made up of more than 20
public and private organizations that work with children and families in
Dane County. The network includes the Dane County Department of Human
Services and its Division of Public Health.
