Family & Community Services
HEALTHY START
Healthy Start is a home visiting program for first-time parents in McLean, DeWitt, Woodford, and Piatt counties. Healthy Start serves and assists parents by providing them with information on child development, positive discipline techniques and parenting skills, encouragement in their role as their child’s first and most important teacher, and links to resources as needed. Education, support groups and developmental screenings are also offered.
The Baby Fold and The Children’s Foundation provide this service in partnership. Healthy Start is accredited by Healthy Families America, a nationally recognized organization that sets the standards for home visiting services to new parents. Healthy Start serves to prevent child abuse and beglect through support, education, community resource linkages, and in many cases, intensive home visiting services.
ELIGIBILITY
- Pregnant teenage or first-time parent
- Lives in McLean Woodford, Dewitt, or Piatt Counties
Due to program guidelines, Healthy Start services must begin during pregnancy or prior to baby turning 2 weeks old.
SERVICES OFFERED
After an initial assessment, a program is tailored specifically to each family’s needs. Healthy Start services range from sharing information about local resources to providing ongoing home visits. The long-term services include a combination of home visits, education and support groups, developmental screenings, resource linkage and others.
Healthy Start is a free and voluntary program.
MAKING A REFERRAL
Contact the Family Assessment Worker or Supervisor in the Healthy Start program.
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