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Kansas implemented the Period of PURPLE Crying in 2009 and rapidly expanded across the state. Kansas was the fourth state in the United States to fully implement the program statewide. Currently, 65 birthing facilities across the state have officially implemented the program providing information to parents of approximately 42,000 new births each year. The implementation of the Kansas Period of PURPLE Crying program has truly been a statewide, community based effort.

More than 36,500 surveys have been collected from parents who received the DVD and booklet while in the hospital with very favorable results. The survey contains ten statements that parent either agree or disagree with and seeks to measure if parents feel like the information is helpful, if parents plan to share the information with others, and if parents plan to follow the tips provided through the materials. Parents have answered positively to each statement at least 95% of the time. Follow-up surveys with parents have also been favorable. Feedback from first, second, and even fifth time parents of babies who experienced the Period of PURPLE Crying about the helpfulness of the information has been received.

Statewide partners are participating in Dose 2 by reinforcing the program’s education and messages to the families they serve. Some of the partners participating include child care providers, home visitors, pediatricians and OB-GYNs, health departments, Department for Children and Families, family serving organizations, schools and many more. Several agencies in the community are reinforcing the PURPLE messages in unique and creative ways.

Kansas also joined the Click for Babies campaign in 2011 which enabled thousands of additional Kansas to be educated on the normalcy of increased infant crying, that it was never okay to shake a baby, and the importance of supporting parents and caregivers. A handful of Kansas communities have also been exposed through the Dose 3 public awareness campaign. As a whole, the Period of PURPLE Crying lends itself easily to the 5 Protective Factors, allowing for families and communities to be strengthened across Kansas.

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