Focus Areas, Programs and Services

The mission of the Children's Policy Council (CPC) is to build partnerships to benefit Jefferson County children. The CPC provides opportunities to collaborate and advocate for the well-being of Jefferson County children.

The Children's Policy Cooperative of Jefferson County, a non-profit (501 (c 3) organization, administers the work of the CPC through an annual contract with Family Court of Jefferson County.

Focus areas are organized around Early Care, Education, Economic Security, Health, and Safety.

Areas of interest are aligned with priorities for and needs of children as identified through VOICES for Alabama Children and the annual CPC Jefferson County Needs Assessment.

2022 SCORECARD

Early Care & Education

EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION (ECE) Workgroup (Birth to 5 years old)

Networking Early Care providers; developing strategies to promote the importance of pre-school screenings; offering monthly programs to increase education and collaborations. The CPC Early Care and Education(ECE) Work Group focuses on issues impacting children birth to five and their families.

The Early Care and Education Work Group meets the first Wednesday of the month via ZOOM from 9:30 - 10:30 am.

Each month features an issue or organization’s services and resources to build the capacity of the members to better serve our youngest citizens. To be added to the e-mail distribution list for the ECE Work Group email and receive the ZOOM link for monthly meetings: mizes@jccal.org.

SAFE Care

SAFE Care as an innovative model that is based on cross-sectional partnership, communication, and longitudinal relationship with substance exposed infants as the centerpiece. The program strength lies in its connectivity within and between treatment providers, hospital systems, law enforcement, Family Court and child protective services. Central to its success is development of Plans of Safe Care prenatally and postpartum for mother and children coupled with care coordination services. It is an important project for strengthening families, enhancing safety and health outcomes and for reducing burden on the foster care system. A specific target population will be mothers whose babies are born with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.

This program helps mothers create plans of safe care for themselves and their infants. Each participant has a Care Coordinator who assists with navigation of DHR, Family Court as well as substance abuse treatment, recovery support, parenting education, mental health services, housing, therapeutic visitation, maternal and child health, and in-home education.

The SAFE CARE Program is designed to help build and retain intact families affected by substance use disorders, to ensure effective safety plans are in place for substance-affected infants and that community resources are utilized to meet the needs of their mothers and families.

Program Goals

Engage pregnant and postpartum women in substance abuse treatment
Rebuild and retain intact families for infants delivered to substance-involved parents
Reduce the length of time in out-of-home placement for children birth to 3 years
Ensure effective infant Safety Plans are in place
Increase the collaborative capacity of the community to meet the needs of substance-involved families.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REFERRAL PLEASE CONTACT:
205-264-8120
cpcsafecare@jccal.org