Temple Health has been awarded a three year, $700,000 grant to address the impact of intergenerational adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
The grant, from the Philadelphia-based William Penn Foundation, supports development of the Temple Family Thriving Program. This trauma informed initiative integrates caregiver and early childhood support directly into prenatal and postpartum care. The Family Thriving Program will leverage the clinical operations at Temple Women & Families Hospital, with Temple University’s academic training programs. This partnership addresses the impact of ACEs by incorporating parenting education, social needs screening, and community-based resources into routine healthcare visits families already attend.
By doing so, the program aims to remove one of the most significant barriers facing under resourced families: the need for additional appointments amid already limited time, transportation challenges, and competing responsibilities.
“This investment from the William Penn Foundation allows us to meet families where they are and provide equitable, whole family support that promotes healthy development from the very beginning,” said Sharon Kurfuerst, EdD, OTR/L, FACHE, Executive Director of Temple Women & Families Hospital. “Prenatal and postpartum visits represent a critical window of opportunity — not just for medical care, but for strengthening families at a foundational moment.”
Multidisciplinary Approach to Trauma Informed Care
The Family Thriving Program is strategically embedded into prenatal OB/GYN visits and the 24-72 hour postpartum stays at Temple Women & Families Hospital. These appointments often include partners, fathers, grandparents, and caregivers — allowing for opportunities to engage entire family units in learning and support.
“Parents are generally not taught to consider how their own childhood experiences impact their attitudes and actions towards their children,” said Amy Lynch, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, TBRI® Educator, SCFES, Associate Professor in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Department at the Barnett College of Public Health at Temple University. “By pairing past experiences insight with actionable strategies, we can reduce the risks of perpetuating intergenerational harm. This positive parenting approach improves a child’s physical, motor, emotional, and mental development, and creates stronger family systems.”
The program leverages occupational therapy and social work students at Temple University’s Barnett College of Public Health and other universities by utilizing rotating cohorts of supervised students to help deliver services. This supports cost effective implementation while also strengthening Philadelphia’s pipeline of trauma informed practitioners well beyond the grant period.
Tiered Services Tailored to Family Readiness
Grounded in trust based relational intervention (TBRI), the Family Thriving Program is designed to equip caregivers with practical, no cost, evidence-based tools designed to manage stress and support healthy parent child relationships. By addressing caregiver stress while reinforcing positive parenting practices, the program aims to reduce risk factors associated with child abuse and neglect, support caregiver well being, and promote healthy early childhood development.
All identified families will receive initial clinical support, with opportunities for deeper engagement based on individual readiness and need.
“With the William Penn Foundation’s partnership, Temple is building a model that transforms how Philadelphia’s most vulnerable families access support by integrating services into moments families already trust and recognizing that caregiver well being and early childhood outcomes are deeply connected,” Kurfuerst said.