Working with States

The Maternal and Child Health Bureau was one of the first federal agencies to realize the important role state health departments could play in addressing injury prevention. Because this was a new role for the staff at these agencies, HHD was funded in 1991 to launch the Children’s Safety Network—a national injury and violence prevention resource center to assist state maternal and child health agencies across the country and their local and national partners to take a public health approach to preventing injuries.

By developing cross-agency partnerships, assisting states with implementing proven prevention programs, and raising awareness among national policymakers about injury prevention, this Center has become an essential component of America’s injury and violence prevention infrastructure over the past 17 years.