What is the Early Childhood Initiative?

• County-based and grant-funded child abuse prevention program
• Voluntary participation
• Targeted specifically to families in the Allied Drive area
• Families are referred from Meriter or St. Mary's Hospital, and JFF social workers
• Self referrals are also accepted
• Focus on parent/child relationships and infant/child development
• Provides parent support, education and family empowerment, promoting self-sufficiency and stabilization through a collaborative effort with other community service providers
• Each family assigned to a Family Support Specialist
• Employment Specialist available to assist, support and provide resources for employment

Who is eligible?

• Families must live in the Allied Drive area at the time of sign-up
• Expectant mothers, parents and caregivers with children up to 12 months of age
• Children must presently live with parent(s) or caregiver

Goals

• Prevent child abuse and neglect through family strengthening
• Increase parents' knowledge of child development and growth
• Promote healthy families through parent-child relationships
• Improve job skills to become employed or for job advancement
• Provide prevention or early intervention services that promote healthy child development
• Assist in setting the stage for school readiness and detecting any developmental delays

What is involved?

• Weekly to bi-weekly home visitation by a matched Family Support Specialist
• Development of a family plan that will guide activities and assistance
• Parent education and support using a blend of standard curriculum and knowledge of family strengths to build parenting skills, promote parent/child attachment, and optimal child development
• Individual and group job skills training and job search
• Facilitated access to additional support and resources through collaborative partners
• Health and development screening and assessment of infants
• Parental care support with other health care providers
• Access to assessment and treatment for adult mental health/AODA services
• Addressing basic needs to promote family stabilization and a move toward self-sufficiency
• Monthly potluck and parent meetings to promote nutrition