(Philadelphia, PA) – Temple Health has been awarded a $700,000 three‑year grant from the William Penn Foundation to develop the Temple Family Thriving Program, a trauma‑informed initiative that integrates caregiver and early childhood support directly into prenatal and postpartum care.
The Family Thriving Program leverages the clinical operations at Temple Women & Families Hospital, with Temple University’s academic training programs. This partnership addresses the impact of intergenerational adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) by incorporating parenting education, social needs screening, and community-based resources into routine healthcare visits families already attend. The program’s approach removes 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.”
Approximately 70 percent of patients are expected to meet program enrollment criteria based on ACE screenings and social determinants of health assessments administered during the second trimester of pregnancy.
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.
Grounded in Trust‑Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), the program equips caregivers with practical, no cost, evidence‑based tools designed to manage stress and support healthy parent‑child relationships. Interventions focus on three pillars:
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 receive initial clinical support, with opportunities for deeper engagement based on individual readiness and need. Families seeking additional support may participate in tiered services which include structured peer groups, as well as intensive one‑on‑one support from community health workers for those facing compounding crises such as housing instability or food insecurity.
“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.
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About Temple Health
Temple University Health System (Temple Health) is a $2.9 billion academic health system dedicated to providing access to quality patient care and supporting excellence in medical education and research. Temple Health includes Temple University Hospital (TUH)-Main Campus; TUH-Episcopal Campus; TUH-Jeanes Campus; TUH-Northeastern Campus; Temple University Hospital – Fox Chase Cancer Center Outpatient Department; TUH-Northeastern Endoscopy Center; The Hospital of Fox Chase Cancer Center, together with The Institute for Cancer Research, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center; Fox Chase Cancer Center Medical Group, Inc., The Hospital of Fox Chase Cancer Center’s physician practice plan; Temple Health – Chestnut Hill Hospital; Temple Women & Families; Temple Transport Team, a ground and air-ambulance company; Temple Physicians, Inc., a network of community-based specialty and primary-care physician practices; and Temple Faculty Practice Plan, Inc., Temple Health’s physician practice plan. Temple Health is affiliated with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
Temple Health refers to the health, education and research activities carried out by the affiliates of Temple Health and by the Katz School of Medicine. Temple Health neither provides nor controls the provision of health care. All health care is provided by its member organizations or independent health care providers affiliated with Temple Health member organizations. Each Temple Health member organization is owned and operated pursuant to its governing documents.
Non-discrimination notice: It is the policy of Temple University Hospital and The Hospital of Fox Chase Cancer Center, that no one shall be excluded from or denied the benefits of or participation in the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.