CCMC receives $1M grant for program to protect children from gun violence

PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford.

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Connecticut Children’s Medical Center said Monday it has received a $1 million grant from The Tow Foundation.

The grant will be used to support the hospital’s efforts to identify children with high levels of violence exposure and connect families to community-based resources and violence intervention and prevention services.

"We are so grateful to The Tow Foundation for their support of the Strengthening Connections to Opportunities for Prevention Engagement (SCOPE) project to enable us to address the critical issue of violence prevention for Hartford children and youths,” said Dr. Paul Dworkin, executive vice president for Community Child Health at CCMC.

Dworkin said the grant will enable the hospital to identify children and youth at high risk of violent injuries; assess the concerns, needs and priorities of their families; and employ care coordinators to ensure the families are linked to community-based programs and services.

Hartford has seen an increase in gun violence in recent years, CCMC said. In 2022, 21 children were shot and injured, and 15 died. Of the 60,000 children who visit CCMC’s Emergency Department each year, about 10,000 are Hartford residents.

The SCOPE project’s integrated approach to screening and early detection, service referral and follow-up aims to address gun violence at all levels — including preventing violence before it occurs and breaking the cycle for those who have already been involved in gun violence, CCMC said.