Louisville Ky Family support organization receives financial boost

LOUISVILLE, Ky. and TAMPA, Fla., April 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Recognizing that child abuse, neglect and violence are serious and preventable public health issues, WellCare of Kentucky, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), gave$3,100 to Family & Children’s Place to support their HANDS (Health Access Nurturing Development Services) program.

The HANDS program, which is expected to support over 800 families this year, provides voluntary in-home visitation for new and expectant parents to foster healthy pregnancy and births; stable child growth and development; safe homes; and self-sufficient families.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, The Economic Burden of Child Maltreatment in the United States and Implications for Prevention, found the total lifetime economic burden, including health care costs, resulting from new cases of child maltreatment in 2008 was approximately $124 billion.

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“WellCare’s mission is to enhance our members’ health and quality of life, so it is vital that we invest in programs that focus on supporting healthy families,” said Elizabeth Starr, supervisor of community advocacy, WellCare of Kentucky. “With 98 percent of participating families abuse-free after the first two years, we believe that the Family & Children’s Place HANDS program is making a meaningful difference. We are proud to be a part of its effort to prevent, intervene and treat child abuse and neglect.”

WellCare of Kentucky’s contribution will help fund special events for families to celebrate successes and enable greater participation in the program.

family and children's place

“WellCare is a wonderful partner in our effort to protect children and give them brighter futures,” said JT Henderson, Family & Children’s Place vice president of Philanthropy. “Last year, WellCare helped us create a FIT room where children can engage in fun physical activities to help them through stress from trauma. This new gift gives families a pathway to a healthy, happy and abuse-free life.”

Call the Kentucky Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-752-6200 if you witness or suspect child abuse.

For more information about Family & Children’s Place, visit www.famchildplace.org or call 502-893-3900.

As of Dec. 31, 2015, WellCare serves approximately 440,000 Medicaid members, 8,000 Medicare Advantage plan members and 22,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in Kentucky. To learn more about how we care for Kentuckians, watch Brandi’s story at http://youtu.be/YwOw5EgeSYo.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. WellCare serves approximately 3.8 million members nationwide as of Dec. 31, 2015. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company’s website at www.wellcare.com or view the company’s videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

About Family & Children’s Place
Family & Children’s Place works to protect Kentuckian children, families and communities from abuse, neglect and exploitation and, through research-based, trauma-informed services, help them heal. The organization has supported families for more than 130 years and today serves approximately 5,000 children and families annually. For more information about Family and Children’s Place, visit www.famchildplace.org or call 502-893-3900.