Sierra Health Foundation Celebrates Innovations for Children Awards

From Sierra Health Foundation: Today, Sierra Health Foundation honored Steering Committee on Reduction of African American Child Deaths (RAACD) member and Deputy Director of Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance Gladys Deloney with the Innovations for Children Award. Ms. Deloney was honored for her work to ensure that Sacramento families are connected to the services they need within their communities as part of the county’s effort to reduce African American child mortality. The award was presented to acknowledge her substantial contributions to advancing RAACD’s goals and the fact that her efforts will benefit families beyond those targeted by the initiative.Video about Ms. Deloney’s work.

Tragically, for twenty years, the Sacramento County Child Death Review Team has consistently found that African American children died at a rate two times higher than children of other races. Seven Sacramento County neighborhoods account for most of this disproportionality - Valley Hi, Meadowview, Arden-Arcade, North Sacramento/ Del Paso Heights, Oak Park, North Highlands/ Foothill, and Fruitridge/ Stockton Boulevard. The major causes are homicide, child abuse and neglect, infant sleep-related conditions, and perinatal conditions. These deaths are often preventable with resources, support and education which the Steering Committee on RAACD and the Black Child Legacy Campaign are working to disseminate.

Through the Campaign, each of these seven neighborhoods has a lead community-based organization that is mobilizing community residents and building organizational networks to reduce child deaths. Ms. Deloney has spearheaded the co-location of county services in each of the communities.

“As an instrumental member of the Steering Committee, Ms. Deloney has led the efforts to ensure access to important county resources,” said Chet P. Hewitt, President and CEO, Sierra Health Foundation. “The co-location of county services at the Community Incubator Leads increases the accessibility of vital services to the community.”

Over the past 10 years, the foundation has recognized individuals who have pioneered significant changes in policy and services to improve health and safety outcomes for children and families. The celebration was hosted at the Firehouse Restaurant in Old Sacramento.

The Black Child Legacy Campaign is the community-driven movement raising visibility and strengthening collective impact efforts of the Steering Committee on Reduction of African American Child Deaths (RAACD) to reduce the number of black child mortalities due to homicide, child abuse and neglect, infant sleep-related conditions, and perinatal conditions. To learn more, visit: www.blackchildlegacy.org and www.shfcenter.org/raacd .

Image via Pixabay