Thank You from the Children’s HealthWatch Team 

We wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of you who made the Children’s HealthWatch event – “Home Is Where Health Is” – a success.

Diane Yentel:  We are so grateful you could join us to accept this year’s Children’s HealthWatch Champion award. Your tireless efforts to ensure that everyone, particularly those with the lowest incomes, can have safe, healthy, stable and affordable housing are exemplary, admirable and necessary. For all that you do to bring attention to the health crisis that is housing instability, and for being an exceptional partner, we thank you.

Anthony Roberts and his son, Junior: Sharing your story of how the Housing Prescriptions as Healthcare program quite literally changed your lives not only touched and moved us, but inspires us to do more to bring holistic support and assistance to those who do not have a stable home. We are humbled by and grateful for your participation.

Representative Marjorie Decker: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us and to highlight the importance of stable housing and income supports like EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) and their positive impact on the health and well-being of our communities. Your partnership and commitment to evidence, and passion become policy that improves the lives for families all across Massachusetts.

Kate Walsh:  We feel privileged to call Boston Medical Center our home. Your motivation and passion for ensuring that every person who crosses the threshold of BMC receives exceptional care without exception is evident in everything you do. Thank you for making the time to be with us as together we work to ensure that all children and families have what they need to thrive.

The Development, Government Affairs and Communications departments at Boston Medical Center, and the Boston University Facilities and AV departments:  Thank you for your guidance and assistance in making our event happen!

The Children’s HealthWatch Advisory Board: We are so filled with gratitude for your wisdom and generosity. From raising funds to providing guidance, you continue to be steadfast supporters of our mission to improve the lives and health of children by informing policies that address and alleviate economic hardships .

To our individual event sponsors and donors: Thank you so much for your generosity! Your kindness is immeasurable and invaluable. Some of you are longtime supporters, and others are new to us, and we are grateful to all.

To our volunteers and others who helped us put this event together, our sincere and deep thanks for your assistance, especially after a long day of work.

And, of course, to all our attendees:  You could have been anywhere else that night, but you decided to spend it with us, and we are so happy that you did. We hope that you enjoyed your time at the celebration and went away with a better understanding of Children’s HealthWatch, what housing stability means for families and what we can do to change the status quo. Please visit our website at www.childrenshealthwatch.org and get in touch if you would like to continue the conversation! And if you are able, you can donate to us here.

Thank you again for a great evening!

Sincerely,

The Children’s HealthWatch Team

P.S. Check out pics from the event below!

Enjoy photos from the “Home Is Where Health Is Event” on

Thursday, October 10, 2019!

Photographs by James Blanken of James Blanken Photography

Our Housing Policy Briefs & Reports 

Our Other Publications Throughout the Years

Timeline: Achievements/Highlights/Testimonies

Children’s HealthWatch: Over 65,000 caregivers interviewed 43 Peer Reviewed Journal Articles 85 Policy Publications Sites in 5 Cities Across the United States 20 Years

1998

Dr. Deborah Frank and colleagues launched the Children’s Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP) in 6 cities

2001

Dr. Deborah A. Frank testifies before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on expanding the Food Stamps program.

2002

Paper on food insecurity in infants and toddlers by John Cook, PhD, Boston PI, published in Nutrition in Clinical Care

2005

Dr. Deborah A. Frank testifies before the Subcommittee on Human Resources on Welfare Reform Reauthorization.

2005

Philadelphia site opens with Dr. Mariana Chilton at the helm

2007

“Heat or Eat” paper published

2007

Dr. Deborah A. Frank testifies before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Budget during the Farm Bill Reauthorization Hearing.

2007

“Fuel for Our Future” report published in collaboration with former U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy II & Congressman Michael Capuano

2008

C-SNAP changes its name to Children’s HealthWatch

2008

Launch of Witnesses to Hunger, founded by Dr. Mariana Chilton, in Philadelphia

2008

Dr. Frank named “the woman who saved SNAP” due to her key testimony before the House on the Farm Bill

2010

Boston Witnesses to Hunger is launched

2010

Baltimore Witnesses to Hunger launched, along with Camden, NJ; Hartford, CT & Providence, RI

2010

Publication of 2 item food insecurity screener paper by Erin R. Hager, PhD, in Pediatrics

2010 to present

Hunger Vital Sign™ tool created, leading to innovation & development of implementation of best practices nationally

2011

Housing insecurity paper by Dr. Diana Cutts, Minneapolis PI, published in American Journal of Public Health

2013

Arkansas General Assembly allocates $500K to Housing Trust Fund while advocates build Permanent Source campaign

2014

CHW research helps to preserve “heat or eat” provision in Farm Bill

2015

Dr. Megan Sandel testifies before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Revenue in support of increasing the Massachusetts Earned Income Tax Credit.

2015

MA EITC increased from 15% to 23% through efforts by CHW led Healthy Families EITC Coalition

2015

Arkansas PI, Eduardo Ochoa, Jr., MD, FAAP, testifies before the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Committee on Agriculture, US House of Representatives

2016

Housing Rx as Health Care project, funded by The Boston Foundation, begins

2017

Allison Bovell-Ammon testifies before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Revenue on bills that would fund Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Sites and expand access to the state Earned Income Tax Credit.

2017

Healthy Families EITC Coalition successfully advocates for an expansion of EITC eligibility in the state budget enabling Massachusetts to became first state in the nation to ensure survivors of domestic violence are able to access EITC benefits.

2018

Housing instability paper by Dr. Megan Sandel, Boston site PI, published in Pediatrics

Past Children’s HealthWatch Celebrations

Enjoy photos from our 20th Anniversary Celebration Event at the Edward M Kennedy Institute

on Saturday, September 29, 2018!

Photographs by Catherine Hodges of Catherine Hodges Photography

Check out photos from the Friendraiser that kicked off our 20th Anniversary Celebration Year

on Thursday, September 28, 2017!

Photographs by James Blanken of James Blanken Photography

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