2026 CHNA Implementation Strategy

Caregiver education will focus on practical prevention strategies, including firearm safe storage.

APPROACH AND FRAMEWORK

Parent and Caregiver Education as a Cross-Cutting Strategy

Across the CHNA survey, focus groups and secondary data review, parent and caregiver education emerged as a recurring theme. Families often need not only access to services, but also clear information about available resources, when and where to seek care, how to navigate referrals, and how to prevent avoidable risks in the home, school, and community. Accordingly, Children’s will treat parent and caregiver education as a cross-cutting strategy across all three priority areas. In mental and behavioral health, parent and caregiver education will focus on early identification of anxiety, depression, behavioral concerns, grief, trauma, suicide risk, and crisis warning signs, as well as reducing stigma and connecting families to appropriate resources such as PATHS, PIRC, the Amelia Center, and community providers. In healthcare access, parent and caregiver education will focus on helping families understand available pediatric primary and specialty care resources, telehealth options, transportation supports, referral pathways, financial assistance where applicable, and how to prepare for and follow through with care. In child safety and risk prevention, parent and caregiver education will focus on practical prevention strategies, including safe sleep, car seat use, safe driving, poison prevention, firearm safe storage, heatstroke prevention, vaping/tobacco education, CPR/AED education, and recognizing signs of abuse, neglect, or unsafe environments.

Children’s will deliver parent and caregiver education through multiple channels, including community events, school partnerships, clinical encounters, digital and social media content, safety classes, care navigation resources, and partnerships with community-based organizations.

CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA

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IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY