Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Philadelphia (IFCK)
Impacting our local community in West Philadelphia
Background
Unintentional injury is the leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in the United States. In West Philadelphia, over 60,000 children under the age of 18 live and play every day — and are all at risk for unintentional and potentially preventable injuries. An injured child impacts not only family and friends, but also the future of our community.
Our work
The Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Philadelphia is made up of city and state agencies, neighborhood organizations and the Hospital community, who collaborate to reduce community hazards, to provide safe areas for children to play, and to provide programs that are free or low cost so children will be able to engage in safe and positive activities.
Specific program goals to reduce injury to children and adolescents living in West Philadelphia include:
- Hospital-based injury prevention education and training to children and families
- Creating safe community environments for children and families
- Developing safe, positive, and affordable activities for children
- Designing a comprehensive local injury data surveillance system
With start-up funds from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Philadelphia Foundation Bayard Memorial Fund, the Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Philadelphia is hosted by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia’s Center for Injury Research and Prevention. The Coalition is based on a model that originated at New York's Harlem Hospital and has been successfully implemented in urban settings around the United States, including Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta.
Methodology
The model for the Coalition includes the analysis of population-based injury data from a defined catchment area, the assessment and prioritization of the injury problems found in the community, the development of programs to address the most prominent injury problems, and the evaluation of these interventions. The evaluation process relies on both the data we collect locally, as well as drawing on other proven methods.
The Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Philadelphia at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is supported by the collaborative efforts of the hospital's Trauma Program and the interdisciplinary pediatric injury research center known as the Center for Injury Research and Prevention.
IFCK Philadelphia Sources of funding
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Philadelphia Foundation
