Parenting Initiatives

“I was alone, had no family support, and worried that my minimum-wage job would not enable me to meet my baby’s needs. But then the hospital told me about Healthy Families. My home visitor helped me get into a program so I could qualify for a better job, helped me get a driver’s license, taught me how to meet all of my baby’s needs. Now I have a decent paying job and know Jennie and I are off to a good start.”

In 2004, Healthy Families home-visiting services helped 389 high-risk first-time parents and their babies. By providing support and education which emphasizes positive relations between the parents and child and promotes the family’s well-being, home visitors establish a trusting relationship with families, making certain that parents can meet their baby’s basic needs, attain vocational skills needed for viable employment, and acquire safe housing. Not only do home visitors ensure that the baby’s medical needs are met, but they teach parents how to foster their baby’s emotional and intellectual development.