Family Foundations (POCAN) - History

In 1997, through Act 293, the Wisconsin legislature authorized the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) to establish ten state funded Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (POCAN) projects around the state. The projects provide home visitation to Medicaid-eligible first time mothers and their infants. Ten projects were awarded grants and these grants began providing services in 1999. These grants:

• assist the counties and tribe to provide home visiting to first time parents eligible for Medicaid
• provide a flexible fund for parents receiving home visitation services
• provide a flexible fund for individuals or families who have been the subject of a child abuse

Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Program grantees are:

• Brown County Human Services
• Door County Department of Social Services
• Fond Du Lac County Department of Social Services
• Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Government
• Manitowoc County Health Department
• Marathon County Health Department
• Portage County Health and Human Services
• Vernon County Health Department
• Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services
• Waupaca County Department of Health and Human Services - Health Services Division

In 2005 the name was changed to Family Foundations. Administration and support for this program comes from the Division of Health and the Division of Children and Families in the Department of Health and Family Services. Training and technical assistance for the sites is being coordinated by the University of Wisconsin-Extension Cooperative Extension Family Living Programs.

For more information, contact:

Ann Stueck
Wisconsin Division of Health
608/266-3504
stuecac@dhfs.state.wi.us