The Many Historical Milestones Associated With Maternal And Child Health Nursing

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Review the many historical milestones associated with maternal and child health nursing.

a. What do you think is the most significant milestone that occurred?

I believe that the most significant milestone that occurred was the formation of the first government agency tasked with monitoring children's health and environmental conditions. In 1903, Lillian D. Wald, founder of New York City's Henry Street Settlement, and her friend Florence Kelley conceived of the idea for a Federal agency to promote child health and welfare. A friend of Wald's wired President Theodore Roosevelt, who promptly invited the group to the White House to discuss the idea further. The road to establishing the Children's Bureau had emerged.

Individuals and organizations …show more content…

Why do you think the milestone you chose was the most significant?

The establishment of the Children’s Bureau was a monumental accomplishment in the monitoring of children’s health and environmental conditions. The Children's Bureau has made tremendous progress in improving the welfare of our nation's children and families since its humble beginnings. Because of the Bureau's success, the Bureau's mandate to address the needs of "the whole child" grew too large for a single government agency.

Prior to the establishment of the Children's Bureau, child labor was commonplace. This was most significant among rural and immigrant families. Before the creation of the Children’s Bureau, there was no Federal child labor law. Today, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 restricts child labor employment and abuse, representing a significant victory for the Children's Bureau and its supporters. Its provisions (along with others governing child labor) are now enforced by the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor. (The Story of the Children's Bureau, p. …show more content…

This group allows staff from member organizations to exchange information about child maltreatment-related programs and activities, as well as collaborate to maximize funding and resources. For example, during the last decade, as U.S. troops were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Children's Bureau collaborated closely with the Department of Defense's Military Community and Family Policy's Family Advocacy Program to provide child abuse prevention resources to installations and educate the civilian community about how everyone can help support and strengthen military families during a deployment (The Story of the Children's Bureau, p.