Why It's Important to Support Healthy Families

I was going through a bad time with postpartum depression. [Healthy Families] talked with me, and it really helped.

During the crucial first five years of a child’s life we strengthen and support families through an innovative home-visiting program. We work with parents to be the best parents they can be! Our ultimate goal is to prevent child abuse, neglect and other poor childhood outcomes and to help children to be ready to succeed in school.

**To download the Healthy Families Arizona presentation, please click here.**

The model

Home visiting programs that begin working with parents right after birth stand the greatest chance of reducing the risk of child abuse. In our program, modeled on the highly respected Hawaii program, families are invited to participate based on need. Intensity of services vary, moving gradually from weekly to quarterly home visits as the family becomes more self sufficient. Program services are available for up to five years.

The need

Every year an estimated three million cases of suspected child abuse and neglect are reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies throughout the nation, yet more than half of child abuse fatalities are typically unknown to CPS. Almost three children die from child abuse and neglect each day.

At the same time, according to a report released by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, “the earliest years of a child’s life are society’s most neglected age group, yet new evidence confirms these years lay the foundation for all that follows.”

Some of our successes

In 2004, after 12 months in the program, participants show significant improvement in parental attachment to infant, depression and mood and reduced social isolation. 98.4% had no substantiated CPS report. 94% acquired immunization for their babies. 93.8% locked up household poisons and 98% used other safety measures, e.g. car seats.
In 2004, 99.9% of survey respondents rated quality of service as excellent or good and 100% would definitely or probably recommend the services to others
Summarize and link to (Child Welfare League of America) Magazine "Children's Voice", July/August 2002 edition.
In 2000, Healthy Families Arizona became the first program in the nation to receive a four year multi-site national credential from Prevent Child Abuse America and the Council on Accreditation. This credential attests that Healthy Families Arizona meets nationally established research-based standards for quality service delivery. It also means the program meets “best practice” standards for management and operations.

We need your support

There are now over 400 Healthy Families program sites in over 40 states. We support 50 sites throughout Arizona; yet, the funding level reaches only about 17% of eligible newborns. If you are interested in contributing toward child abuse prevention efforts in Arizona http:www.pcaaz.org/helpus.htm