In October 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded five cooperative agreements to promote the development of comprehensive, state-based fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) prevention programs. The first planning meeting of the funded sites will be in January 2004.

Purposes

The purposes of these programs are to: (1) develop, implement, and evaluate population-based and targeted programs for FAS prevention, including the identification of high-prevalence geographic areas or selected subpopulations of childbearing-aged women at high risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy; (2) establish or enhance prenatal and preconceptional intervention programs to serve these populations; and (3) establish or use existing systems for monitoring the impact of prevention programs.

Funded Sites

• Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment

• Michigan Department of Community Health

• Minnesota Department of Health

• Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

• University of South Dakota (in collaboration with the North Dakota Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Center), as a bona fide agent for the South Dakota Department of Health