Bryan Specht, former president of Olson Engage, is currently the growth and innovation lead at ICF Next, a global marketing agency. Dedicated to preventing child abuse, Bryan Specht supports and serves on the board of such organizations as Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA), a registered nonprofit that develops programs to prevent all types of child abuse and neglect.
PCAA maintains two main programs: Pinwheels for Prevention, an awareness campaign, and Healthy Families America (HFA), a prevention program that focuses on intensive home visiting. Since it was launched in 1992, HFA has become a nationally recognized model for home visitation. In 2011, the US Department of Health and Human Services designated HFA a proven home-visiting model, after reviewing it against over 250 home-visiting programs. It operates in 38 states nationwide.
Every year, HFA provides support to nearly 100,000 families facing challenges. The program focuses on early, positive relationships between parents and children as the foundation for healthy development. Involvement in HFA has been shown to prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse and neglect. It also improves school performance,
increasing children’s ability to complete work on time, follow directions, and play cooperatively with peers. In addition, HFA participation makes it more likely that children will be part of gifted programs in school. Meanwhile, parents involved in the program report more financial security, less alcohol use, and reduced stress levels.
PCAA maintains two main programs: Pinwheels for Prevention, an awareness campaign, and Healthy Families America (HFA), a prevention program that focuses on intensive home visiting. Since it was launched in 1992, HFA has become a nationally recognized model for home visitation. In 2011, the US Department of Health and Human Services designated HFA a proven home-visiting model, after reviewing it against over 250 home-visiting programs. It operates in 38 states nationwide.
Every year, HFA provides support to nearly 100,000 families facing challenges. The program focuses on early, positive relationships between parents and children as the foundation for healthy development. Involvement in HFA has been shown to prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse and neglect. It also improves school performance,
increasing children’s ability to complete work on time, follow directions, and play cooperatively with peers. In addition, HFA participation makes it more likely that children will be part of gifted programs in school. Meanwhile, parents involved in the program report more financial security, less alcohol use, and reduced stress levels.
