Healthy Families

2008 HF Annual Report

What is Healthy Families?

Healthy Families is a free program that provides you with a personal Parent- Child Specialist who comes to your home to help you create a healthy home for your baby, find community resources, track your child's development, and learn more about the challenges of parenting.

Healthy Families is a voluntary program and is designed to promote healthy families and healthy children through child development, access to health care and parent education.

Healthy Families has been providing services to families in Howard County since 1995.

What are the program goals?

Healthy Families works to help each family in many ways. Our goals include:

To promote healthy family functioning
To teach problem solving skills
To reduce family stress
To improve family support systems
To promote positive parent/ child interaction
To help keep children safe and healthy
To help families on the road to selfsufficiency

Who can join Healthy Families?

Healthy Families is open to anyone expecting a child or who gave birth to a child in the last three months, who meets the income guidelines and who would like to make a commitment to participate in the program.

What does a Parent-Child Specialist do? Our staff has extensive knowledge of prenatal and early childhood issues. Their training enables them to provide guidance on all challenges involved in becoming a parent. Some of the things you can learn from your

Parent-Child Specialist are:

How do I know what my child wants when he or she cries?
Is my child on target with his or her development?
Where can I find resources for finances, food, housing, health care and all the other things I need for my family?
How can I learn to work with my partner and improve our relationship?
How do I take care of myself when I have a baby?
How do I discipline my child and get him or her to listen to me?
What changes can I make that will help my family have a better life?

What else is involved?

Helping you adjust to being a new parent

Evaluating your baby's development and growth

Assisting in learning baby's cues and signals

Learning the latest information on parenting

Teaching and practicing effective discipline

Handling sibling rivalry and relationships

Yielding to try new ways of doing things

Finding support and assistance for your family

Allowing you to talk to someone about the challenges of parenting

Making connections with community agencies

Improving your ability to cope with stress

Leading you in activities to try with your children

Identifying goals for your family and working towards them

Enabling you to create a healthy home for your family

Sharing parenting hints and tips

Why should I join Healthy Families?

Look at all the benefits you will receive by being a part of Healthy Families!

You don't even have to leave your home - we come to you!

"Baby Bucks" program that allows you to get free stuff: diapers, formula, toys, baby clothes, books - even a trip to the Children's Museum in Indianapolis.

A post-partum depression screening

Baby proofing and safety checklists

Free counseling

A community resources guide

Annual spring picnic and Christmas party

Mom's social group and a group for dads

Lots of information about development, discipline and parenting strategies