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                         JeffNEWS, June 7, 1994
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THE JEFFERSON 2000 FUND
Pew Renews Grant to Parent-Child Center
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   Recognizing the success of the Parent-Child Center - a Family Center
program designed to help pregnant, drug-dependent women enhance their
parenting skills - The Pew Charitable Trusts have made a $200,000
renewal grant to the center.

   The Pew funding allows the program, which is under the auspices of
the department of pediatrics, to continue providing an integrated
support system for these women and their children. Improving their
mothers' parenting skills increases the children's chances of good
physical and emotional health in the first two years of life.

   The Parent-Child Center program includes home visits to the families
as well as parent, parent-child and developmental play groups. 

   "A key component is the program's staff pediatric nurse advocate who
assists new mothers in forging healthy relationships with their infants
during the first months of life," said Family Center director, Karol A.
Kaltenbach, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics and assistant
professor of psychiatry and human behavior.

   Critical to the program's success is its individualized approach,
helping each mother to read her child's cues and learn how to give
appropriate care based on her child's unique behavior. "This type of
intervention is essential," Dr. Kaltenbach explained, "because infants
exposed to drugs before birth may be difficult to feed and irritable,
and have poor reflexes and high-pitched cries. Their mothers often
require assistance in learning how to interact with their infants in a
positive, responsible manner."

   The Pew Parent-Child Center renewal grant continues a Pew tradition
of generosity to Jefferson that began 40 years ago. The University has
received more than $15 million from the Pew Trusts to fund a wide
variety of University projects, from innovative programs to
state-of-the-art facilities. The Pew Trusts have made a significant
contribution to Jefferson's growth as a leader in patient care,
education and research.

   The Pew Charitable Trusts, a national and international philanthropy
with a special commitment to Philadelphia, support nonprofit activities
in the areas of culture, education, the environment, health and human
services, public policy and religion. Through their grantmaking, the
Trusts seek to encourage individual development and personal
achievement, cross-disciplinary problem-solving and innovative,
practical approaches to meet the changing needs of society.


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Information provided by:  Editor, JeffNEWS
                          (215) 955-6204
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