Idaho's Heart       PO Box 4941       Boise ID  83711       (208) 424-0943       information@idahosheart.org

In August 2000 the death of Jean Beniot Ramsey was in the headlines.  Intrigued by the reports regarding her case and looking forward to the developments that would eventually solve the mystery surrounding her death, Sunny Reed had no idea where the news of the death of this little girl would lead her.  The more she heard of the mistakes made in the investigation, and the clearer it became that her murderer may never be brought to justice, Ms. Reed became frustrated and outraged.  Where were the banners, picketers and candlelight vigils outside her home or the police headquarters?  Where were the rallies, marches, and shouts of “stop child abuse now!!”?  Regardless of whether her death was caused by her parents or a stranger, the public did not move to create the same fervor we have for events that impact adults. 

Thinking she could open the phone book and find choices of child abuse prevention or family support organizations in the area, Ms Reed instead found that the existence of ANY such organization was not apparent.  She began contacting various leaders in other children’s services only to find that no one could say, for certain, that any such organization existed in Boise.  As Ms. Reed researched national organizations on the internet and studied the statistics of reported child abuse in Idaho, it became clear that an organization dedicated to preventing child abuse in the state was desperately in need. 

She connected with the Executive Director of the Children’s Trust Fund and, through her, eventually joined with the Family Advocate Program in Boise.  In July 2002 and again in October 2003, there was a meeting between Prevent Child Abuse America and several leaders from around the state regarding needs in child abuse prevention.  After finding that they too felt a need for stronger advocacy for children in Idaho, Ms. Reed decided that her organizational and administrative skills and passion for children should be used to advocate for children and families in the state. 

Formed in May 2004 and originally named the Idaho Child Abuse Prevention Coalition with a goal of networking the state, feedback from agencies and organizations in Idaho indicated a more focused effort was in need.  After several personal interviews and reviewing feedback both locally and statewide, Idaho's Heart was formed in September 2004 with four specific goals in mind: Provide networking opportunities across the state, create opportunities and increase funding for programming both locally and statewide, provide training and technical assistance, and research best practices and advocate for their existence and funding in the state.  Since that time, Ms. Reed has volunteered to spread the word of Idaho's Heart's goals and its focus on strengthening Idaho's child abuse prevention efforts.

The Idaho Child Abuse Prevention Coalition still exists today and is a program administered by Idaho's Heart that is very strong in Ada County.  In December 2005 Idaho's Heart was named the statewide coordinator for Circle of Parents and in January 2006 they formed the Advisory Committee for the Safe Haven Crisis Nursery.  Now working on increasing the visibility of these three programs it is estimated that Idaho's Heart will become a leader in the state for coordinating statewide efforts in both public education campaigns and program administration by December 2006.  Only through the dedication of our current Coalition partners, crisis nursery committee, and Board of Directors are these success stories possible and the future of Idaho's Heart solid.

This page was updated on 05/20/2008.
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