Triangle-Area Children and Families Get Help Overcoming Chronic Stress, Strengthening Support Structures Through AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation Grant

Triangle-area parents and caregivers that may have experienced adverse childhood experiences will be able to receive more specialized support to break the cycle, thanks to a grant from the AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation.

The WakeMed Foundation, the philanthropic partner of WakeMed Health & Hospitals (WakeMed) – a leading health system in Raleigh, N.C. – will use the $150,000 grant to fund Project Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children's Health (Project LAUNCH), a nationally recognized, family-centered initiative that aims to improve child wellness systems. Providers with WakeMed Children's — Pediatric Primary Care implement the evidence-based program within its practices to support patients and families at risk for chronic stress due to poverty, food insecurity, personal safety threats, poor health, substance use disorder, and other challenges, which can put children at higher risk for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) themselves. Through Project LAUNCH, parents and caregivers learn healthy ways to deal with stressors and support the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional health of their children.

“Project LAUNCH is reaching families at a critical time in their children's lives to prevent the long-term impact of ACEs on physical and emotional health,” said Heidi Chan, market president of AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina, a managed care organization serving North Carolina Medicaid enrollees. “By funding Project LAUNCH, the AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation will help make sure this important program remains available for local children and families who need it.”

The Annie E. Casey Foundation estimates that, as of the 2021-2022 school year, 43% of North Carolina children had experienced one or more ACEs. Examples of ACEs include experiencing violence, abuse or neglect; witnessing violence at home or in the community; and growing up in a household where a family member struggles with substance use disorder or mental health problems. A substantial body of research shows strong linkage between ACEs and poor health outcomes.

“This support from the AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation is a powerful gift for WakeMed and our community—and paramount to our mission of providing outstanding and compassionate care for all,” said Hank Woods, vice president of the WakeMed Foundation. “Parents are an essential part of their child's care at WakeMed, and Project LAUNCH is an extension of our commitment to parent education, positive parenting practices and community collaboration to help ensure the safety and well-being of local children and families.”

Foundation leaders presented the grant to the WakeMed Foundation at WakeMed's flagship hospital in Raleigh in January.