Healthy Families/Early Head Start

Serves Brown and Door Counties

What is Healthy Families?

Stress in today’s society can make it difficult for families to cope even under “good” circumstances. Add one or more problems such as poverty, isolation, unemployment, domestic violence or substance abuse to becoming a parent and pressures can become overwhelming. Healthy Families helps relieve family tensions by providing comprehensive, helpful services to families for up to five years after a child is born. Family support workers provide most services right in the family’s home. All services are voluntary and have a single goal -- to help new parents meet the challenges of parenting.

Healthy Families begins in the hospital or prenatal clinic, where new parents...

  -  Get information about being parents. 

  -  Hear about services in the community. 

  -  Talk to program staff about their current situation and their own childhood. 

  -  Are offered the services of a home visitor on a voluntary basis.

Healthy Families continues in the home, with a Family Support Worker...

   -  Helping the family meet its immediate needs, such as getting housing assistance, securing adequate and appropriate food, applying for 

      health and social service programs, or handling a family crisis.

   -  Offering emotional support to help new parents cope with the stresses of parenting a newborn, especially stress that comes from lack of 

      sleep or an infant's crying. Family support workers help promote attachment between parents and a new baby.

   -  Teaching basic child-rearing skills, such as how to make an infant feel secure, getting the baby on regular eating and sleeping schedules, 

      and keeping young children safe indoors and out.

   -  Modeling positive parenting, such as effective, age-appropriate discipline.

   -  Linking families to medical providers to ensure that immunizations and well-care visits are on schedule.

Healthy Families builds stronger families and stronger communities by...

   -  Supporting and building on existing family strengths and resources.

   -  Involving socially isolated families in family, neighborhood, and community events.

   -  Collaborating with other community agencies serving families in order to utilize scarce resources and provide a

      comprehensive array of services.

Healthy Families is funded in part by: Brown County Human Services, United Way, Family Preservation & Support, and Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect Grant, Accredited by: Healthy Families America

Early Head Start offers similar services and is funded by: CESA 7

How Do I Learn More About Healthy Families/Early Head Start?

View a Healthy Families Brochure

Return to Family Services' home page