Brief History: The Clean Air for Kids Partnership was formed in 1997 to address the issue of asthma in Pierce County with funds from a Washington State Department of Health partnership grant along with contributions from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and American Lung Association of Washington. The primary focus was to address home environmental "triggers" using the Master Home Environmentalist (MHE) program that trains volunteers to conduct home environmental assessments. Supplemental grant dollars were also received from the Group Health/Kaiser Permanente Community Foundation. In 2000 the partnership was awarded a grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Funding was used to sustain the MHE program and to add the services of an Asthma Outreach Worker (AOW). The AOW conducts home visits to assist families with the development and use of asthma management plans and the reduction of environmental triggers.

Mission, Vision, Goals/Objectives: Clean Air for Kids is a community-based partnership that assists families with asthma in Pierce County. We believe that virtually every child with asthma is capable of leading a healthy, active lifestyle with proper asthma management. Our services are free of charge, typically provided in the home setting and intended to complement clinical care services. Our focus is on addressing home environmental "triggers" using trained community volunteers, use of an Asthma Outreach Worker to help families develop and use asthma management plans along with community education and training for health professionals.

Structure (committees/workgroups) & Meeting Frequency: The partnership's organization initially consisted of a planning committee with subcommittees that met monthly or more frequently as needed. Later a medical advisory board was added, which met quarterly. We currently use a steering committee that meets quarterly.

Partners/Members (how many, organizations/types represented) Our steering committee currently consists of approximately 10 members with fluctuation over time. Current active partners include:

We are always looking to expand our partnership by both number and the types of organizations represented including parents of children with asthma.

Priorities: To continue providing Clean Air For Kids services to the community at-large by being community based and offering services free-of-charge. Other priorities will be established this winter as our partnership goes through a new planning process.

Activities

Funding Sources
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
American Lung Association of Washington
Mary Bridge Children's Health Alliance

Staff
Leanne Noreen, ALAW
Genevieve Schmidt, ALAW
Judy Olsen
Frank DiBiase, TPCHD

Contact Information

Leanne Noren
223 Tacoma Ave. S.
Tacoma, WA, 98402
253.272.8777
lnoren@alaw.org http://www.alaw.org/

Frank DiBiase
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
3629 South D St, MS:320
Tacoma WA 98418-6813
253.798.7674 fdibiasea@tpchd.org