Project LAUNCH Initiative

Florida Project LAUNCH aims to prevent youth emotional and behavioral disorders by improving family function and the quality of the parent-child relationship.

The project has expanded prevention efforts through parent training, skill-building, and selective interventions for young children. Led by a partnership between the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Department of Health, LAUNCH focuses on the Lealman Corridor, an area consisting of four zip codes in Pinellas County.

The population of Lealman Corridor faces many early childhood developmental risk factors, such as limited services, high crime, substance use, domestic violence, and high rates of child maltreatment associated with substance use and unemployment. The population of this area also struggles with high rates of poverty, with 19% of individuals living at or below the poverty level. Lealman Corridor is being used as the pilot site for enhanced provider collaboration, service supports, and family-focused prevention and promotion of health and wellness.

The Project’s Young Child Wellness Council will use the evaluation data to measure outcomes and expand this community’s success across the state.