Community Outreach Programs
Healthy Start/Healthy Families Oakland
What is Healthy Start/Healthy Families Oakland?
Healthy
Start/Healthy Families Oakland is an award winning fully-credentialed
collaborative program that provides home visitation services for
vulnerable families with infants and young children throughout Oakland
County. Nine health and human service providers led by St. Joseph Mercy
Oakland provide these services in order to promote healthy child growth
and development and to strengthen families.
Healthy Start/Healthy Families Oakland is part of the rapidly growing Healthy Families America initiative, with more than 450 program sites across the country. As a result, there have been reductions in child abuse and neglect, reductions in welfare dependency, improved parent-child relationships, more well-baby health visits, increases in immunizations rates and healthy growth and development. Healthy Start/Healthy Families Oakland is the first in Michigan and one of 200 sites across the country to be credentialed by the Council on Accreditation and Prevent Child Abuse America as a Healthy Families America program. Recently the program was awarded the National Association of Counties “Counties Care for Kids” Award.
How does the program work?
Join Healthy Families! Supported by research
that verifies that the most critical brain development occurs in
the first few years of life, Healthy Start begins working with families
prenatally or at birth who voluntarily agree to participate in the
program. Healthy Start stays involved with families for three to
five years to ensure continued positive parent-child relationships and
healthy child growth and development.
A family support specialist who has been highly trained visits the family once or twice a week depending on the family’s needs. The specialist teaches parents how to emotionally care as well as physically care for their baby. The Family Support Specialist also helps families get resources from the community that they may need, such as child care, employment opportunities, financial or housing assistance and much more. As the child develops, the specialists also teach parents and other family members what to expect in the child’s development. With their expertise, empathy, and compassion, they also help families relate to and meet the needs of their young children.
Who is eligible?
Oakland County expectant parents and families with
young children between the ages of 2 weeks and 3 months of age are eligible
to receive a screening by a trained Family Assessment Specialist. Program
eligibility is determined from that screening. Please call 248-335-5638
to speak to a Family Assessment Specialist.
Who are the partners?
Healthy Start/Healthy Families is a collaborative
effort of the following agencies which are committed to the goal
of ensuring that all children develop to their fullest potential.
To learn more about the service partners, click on a link below.
- St. Joseph Mercy Oakland—lead agency since 1994
- Child Abuse and Neglect Council—service partner since 2000
- Easter Seals/El Centro La Familia—service partner since 1998
- Jewish Family Service—service partner since 2000
- Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency—service partner since 1994
- St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center—service partner since 1998
How do I find more about Healthy Start/Healthy Families, Oakland?
For
more information on Healthy Start call 248-335-5638.
To see their annual report click here.
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