Healthy Families Florida Starts Enrolling

SEBRING - Healthy Families Florida in Highlands County already has about 25 referrals and is welcoming more.
"We are so enthused that the program has been so well received by the community," said Deborah Hadley, program manager for Highlands County. "We have a lot of parents calling asking about it and very excited to start the services."

Healthy Families Florida is a nonprofit organization designed to prevent child abuse and neglect before it starts. The program provides voluntary, community-based home visitation services focused on promoting child health and development and positive parent-child interaction.

THE PROGRAM EXPANDED INTO HIGHLANDS COUNTY IN FALL 2007 AFTER THE STATE LEGISLATURE ALLOCATED $2.2 MILLION TO THE EXPANSION STATEWIDE. HIGHLANDS COUNTY RECEIVED $296,000 TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM LOCALLY.

The grant funds services for 80 families in Highlands County. The program is open to all parents, regardless of income or age, who are enrolled before their child is 3 months old.

"Our preference is to enroll parents during the pregnancy, but they have to be enrolled before the baby is 3 months," said Mary Foy, acting human services director. "The first three months are very crucial for bonding between the mother and baby."

Hadley said most of the referrals are for teen mothers, and most of the calls come from grandmothers-to-be, who are seeking services for their daughters.

Services are offered to expectant families that live in targeted high-risk geographic areas and who are voluntarily assessed as having factors that place them at risk of child maltreatment. Some of these risk factors include: single parenting, inadequate housing, less than high school diploma, late prenatal care and abuse experienced in childhood.

Services may begin during pregnancy or at the birth of the baby and are offered to families for up to five years.

Family support workers visit the homes regularly - typically weekly during the first six to nine months. The intensity of the visits is determined based on the family's needs.

Visits focus on supporting parents and their families, helping them to understand child development and encouraging positive parent-child interaction. The family support workers teach parenting techniques, link parents with community service providers and make sure the child is meeting age-appropriate milestones, Hadley said.

"We monitor the parents and baby in their own environment, and we help link them to services," Hadley said.

For additional information, visit the Healthy Families Florida Web site at www.healthyfamiliesfla.org or call 402-6628.