On Grandparent’s Day, here’s five programs that deserve your support

Today is Grandparent’s Day — my first celebration as Pop Pop Jack, my newest identity.

Our nine-month-old granddaughter Julianne’s birth last Thanksgiving morning was, to say the least, a truly glorious gift to our whole family. Her health and happiness are sources of joy without limit.

For 40 years, I have served as an advocate for family policies and innovative programs created to prevent problems at every age and stage of life.

A special focus of these efforts has been ways to translate the science of prevention into practical steps, and attract investments from public funds and private philanthropy. The adage “an ounce of prevention saves a pound of cure” is a proven strategy that deserves this add-on: timely prevention avoids a ton of punishment.

How dare we pay the cost of failure when we have proof positive of what works to keep bad things from happening? This concept is true for us as individuals and extends to our society as a whole. When we practice prevention, we save lives, money and a wide variety of community problems.

Ensuring healthy births, providing excellent care for toddlers, investing in quality preschool and understanding the value of support for parents are all important to reduce risk and enhance the odds for success — emotionally, educationally and economically.

Having entered this grandfatherly stage of life, I feel wellpositioned to look back and plan forward. It is now clear to me that aging is not just about celebrating more birthdays.

I now more clearly understand that successful aging is defined by the concept of legacy — about what we will be remembered for and judged.

Looking into the bright eyes of our sweet and smart grandbaby, Julianne, I know what others have called the great tomorrow we may never see.

As I have now joined the ranks of Florida’s great family of grandparents, I am dedicated to launch a “Grands for Children” campaign.

As voters and voices advocating the well-being of our families, communities, state and nation, it is in our best interest to leverage our power to assure the health, safety and security of all the young ones who will some day lead us into the future.

Florida has developed an impressive array of preventive policies, programs and partnerships that have proven their worth over the past few decades.

Here’s is a list of five Florida home-grown prevention and intervention programs deserving of your attention and support:

Healthy Start Coalitions – A community-based cost-effective system of service coordination for pregnant women and infants, which has a 25-year track record of success in promoting healthy births. https://www.healthystartflorida.com/

Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida and its affiliates, Prevent Child Abuse and Healthy Families – A public-private partnership providing tools and strategies for parents and communities to keep children safe and free from abuse and neglect. https://www.ounce.org

Florida Association for Infant Mental Health – A collaboration promoting increased understanding by professionals, parents, and caregivers of the importance of the early years in a child’s prospect for life success. https://www.faimh.org/

Children’s Forum – Provides advocacy for improved professional development in the field of child care and early learning. http://www.flchild.com/

Guardian ad Litem – Recruits and empowers citizen volunteers to advocate for abused, neglected and abandoned children so our judicial system can better serve these most vulnerable young Floridians. http://guardianadlitem.org/

It is my heartfelt and headstrong belief that all Floridians, especially my fellow grandparents, have the opportunity to shine a positive light on the value of preventive investments in the future of our children — all our children.