Healthy Families
Prince George's Child Resource Center currently operates the Healthy Families Prince George's (HFPG) program for families countywide. Healthy Families is a national, research-based, home visiting program that focuses on positive parent-child interaction, healthy childhood development to enhance school readiness and the precention of poor childhood outcomes including abuse and neglect.
We work with the most at-risk, multi-problem, first time mothers under the age of 25 years beginning at pregnancy and continuing until the child is five years old and ready to enter school. Although we serve a highly at-risk population there have been no parent referrals for child abuse and neglect!
The primary goals are to achieve healthy birth outcomes and prevent child abuse and neglect through the following strategies:
♦ Enhance family functioning by building trusting relationships and improving the family
support system;
♦ Promote positive parent-child bond and healthy child development;
♦ Teach problem-solving skills; Ensure that children enter school ready to learn;
♦ Ensure that the family has stable housing and is free of substance abuse;
♦ Enable the family to become self-sufficient;
♦ Foster healthy development among children, monitor progress toward developmental
milestones, and ensure timely immunizations and medical care; and
♦ Model positive parenting.
What services do families receive?
♦ A weekly visit by a trained Healthy Families support worker;
♦ A home safety checklist and a depression screening;
♦ Prenatal care information;
♦ Referrals to community organizations such as the Health Department, Department of
Social Services, schools and private agencies based on the individual needs of the
family;
♦ Information on parent/child bonding, health and nutrition;
♦ Information on child development, educational toys and books; Ages and Stages
Questionnaire (ASQ) screening to monitor child development; and
♦ The opportunity for each parent to connect with others, participate in monthly peer
sessions and attend field trips.
For further information about Healthy Families, call Liliana Janssen-Checa at 301.431.6210 or