Programs

Family Connections currently provides in home services for Healthy Families and  Prenatal Substance Use Prevention Program (PSUPP)  programs in Dearborn, Franklin, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley and Switzerland counties. These programs recognize the importance’s of insuring children are receiving the support they need to make them successful.

HEALTHY FAMILIES

   Healthy Families America is a national program model designed to help expectant and new parents get their children off to a healthy start. Families participate voluntarily in the program and receive home visiting and referrals from trained staff. By providing services to overburdened families, Healthy Families America fits into the continuum of services provided to families in many communities.

Healthy Families provides intensive home visiting to families at risk for poor parenting outcomes. Emphasis is placed on supporting families in becoming the best parents they can be.

The goals of Healthy Families are:

•Assesses needs and concerns of new parents.

•Assists families in meeting challenges.

•Promotes positive parent/child bonding and interaction.

•Promotes healthy childhood growth and development.

Healthy Families Program

•This parent support program is targeted to families with newborns.

•The purpose of Healthy Families is to relieve some of the stress of having a new baby and coping with other situations at the same time.

•Healthy Families believe that parents are the child’s first and best teacher.

•Healthy Families assist parents in becoming the best parent they can be.

"The Healthy Families America initiative … is the most hopeful and promising development that has occurred within the memory of anyone working in the field of child maltreatment."

- American Academy of Pediatrics

PRENATAL SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION PROGRAM  (PSUPP)

PSUPP provides registered nurses to pregnant women at risk for poor pregnancy outcome due to substance use including tobacco use. Emphasis is placed on support and intervention, either direct or indirect. Goals are to provide intervention and support to women identified as using substances during pregnancy, educate the community about substance use and pregnancy, and support staff with updated training.

•Provide support during pregnancy and the post-partum period through education and advocacy.

•Educate the community about the effects of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products on the unborn fetus.

•Educate the professional community on the effects of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products on the unborn fetus.

Preterm births are on the rise!

•        In 2004, there were 11,483 preterm births in Indiana, representing 13.2% of live births.

•        Between 1994 and 2004, the rate of infants born preterm in Indiana increased nearly 26%.

•        In 2005, 31.4% of women of childbearing age reported smoking in Indiana.

www.marchofdimes.com/peristats