A History of Caring Through Collaboration

In 1996, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Board of Trustees challenged the Foundation to do more to improve health outcomes for children. As one response to that challenge, the Foundation began to explore whether it was feasible to work with one city over a longer period of time to improve children's health outcomes, building on ideas that have been shown to work. As a result, Children's Futures started with an 11 month exploration of opportunities, leadership, ideas, and financing committed to improving children's health outcomes in Trenton, with a particular focus on strengthening prevention.

During this exploration, the major threats to children's health in Trenton were analyzed, research was conducted about effective programs in other cities, a comprehensive profile of local institutions and programs working to improve children's health was compiled, and critical gaps in local services and programs were identified. In addition, the potential for creating partnerships with key local groups to work together to improve health outcomes for Trenton children was investigated. In the fall of 2000, a report was submitted to the RWJ Foundation with the results of the feasibility study and ideas for consideration.

In what has been called the single most important philanthropic initiative ever undertaken in a New Jersey city, in 2001 RWJF awarded $20 million for five years to support the Children's Futures initiative. The City of Trenton began directing another $700,000 annually from a federal Health Resources Services Administration Healthy Start Initiative grant to support this program.

When Children's Futures started, there were already more than a dozen public and private organizations working in Trenton focused on children. While they shared similar traits, they did not share their data. Many were small operations that did not entertain the concept of working across systems. They only met a fraction of the real needs of Trenton's children. And they could not attract resources to the community.

Clearly, that has changed. Children's Futures has created an unprecedented collaboration, building stronger organizations throughout Trenton who work together - rather than in competition - to improve the lives of children. CF's work has influenced the major systems involving children and strengthened smaller agencies through a combination of training and technical assistance. By assisting smaller agencies, CF has shown how every organization could play an essential role in improving child health.

Children's Futures has created an unprecedented collaboration, building stronger organizations throughout Trenton who work together - rather than in competition - to improve the lives of children.

With residents, health care and social service organizations, elected officials, faith-based leaders and others, Children's Futures has improved early access to prenatal care; created neighborhood family support/parent child centers; established a center to help engage fathers in the lives of their young children; instituted a comprehensive home visiting program; developed programs for maternal depression; enhanced the quality of child care settings; convened community stakeholders to raise awareness around issues of child abuse and neglect; improved immunization and lead screening rates for young children, distributed thousands of free books to children and families; improved access to substance abuse treatment for pregnant women; and, arranged for training and technical assistance to strengthen Trenton nonprofit organizations' programs for children and families.

For a look at some additional Children's Futures' milestones from 2001 to 2006, click here (PDF).