Healthy Families Fairfax

Healthy Families Fairfax is a prevention program of the Department of Family Services, in partnership with the Health Department and three nonprofit agencies — Northern Virginia Family Service, UCM Community Solutions, and Reston Interfaith.

The Healthy Families Fairfax program provides educational, therapeutic, and supportive services to first-time parents, before the baby is born (or is no older than 3 months) up to age 5 of the child, to help prevent child abuse and neglect and promote child health. Families voluntarily choose to participate in the program. A public health nurse and family support worker visit the family at home to provide education in parenting, health, nutrition, problem-solving, stress management, and other areas as needed.

Healthy Families America, the parent organization of Healthy Families Virginia and Healthy Families Fairfax, was launched in 1992 by the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse in partnership with Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities. Based on 20 years of research and experience in the field of child abuse and neglect, this home visitor program is aimed at preventing child maltreatment. Trained professionals and paraprofessionals teach new parents how to provide effective, nurturing care for their infants, getting them off to a healthy start in life.

Healthy Families Fairfax philosophy is based on the belief that the most practical and cost-effective focus of community services is prevention. We work alongside our sister programs — The Nurturing Parenting Program® and three neighborhood Family Resource Centers — to deliver community-based, family-focused prevention services to families.

Healthy Families Fairfax Mission is to identify and reach expectant parents who are isolated within their communities and in greatest need of parenting education. Our programs are designed to help families establish links with community support networks; promote self-reliance; and empower families to manage adversity.

We help families get a successful start Traditional home visiting programs ease the adjustment to parenthood by providing new mothers and fathers with child care information and reassurance. But Healthy Families Fairfax recognizes that family problems not directly related to the new baby must be addressed as well. Along with providing parenting services on a frequent basis, once a week or more often if needed, we offer additional services to improve the functioning of the entire family. Often, conditions such as poverty or social isolation become overwhelming and prevent parents from appropriately caring for their child. When families are helped to overcome these obstacles, stress is reduced and parents are better able to care for and enjoy their child. Among its many features, Healthy Families Fairfax:

• Provides prenatal and parenting education, using the Parents as Teachers national curriculum. Knowledge of their baby’s needs and stages of development helps parents give their baby the best care.
  
• Provides intensive home-based services. The home visitor may be the only positive influence in the lives of many isolated parents. Frequent contact helps build a trusting relationship.
  
• Assists the family in obtaining health care, including immunizations, well-child care, preventive medicine and nutrition information.
  
• Provides parents with a supportive home visitor who is compassionate and nonjudgmental, and who assists in their transition to family life. Our staff is available on a 24-hour basis if needed.
  
• Offers comprehensive services, in partnership with other public and private organizations, to help families manage multiple challenges. Parent support groups are available, as well as child development and parenting education (how to deal with children at particular ages); and timely support services, such as housing and transportation assistance, food, mental health and child care referrals, if needed.
  
• Provides high quality services. This program is credentialed and monitored by the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, in partnership with the National Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children.

Who is Eligible?

As community participation and more funding sources are available, the program is able to serve more families across the county. Currently, those eligible for services include first-time parents who participate on a voluntary basis.

Services to families are provided by four teams, each consisting of six family support workers supervised by a community-based organization supervisor; a social worker from the Department of Family Services; and a public health nurse from the Health Department.

Nurses perform the initial risk screening and assessments and make prenatal and postnatal home visits and health consultations. Family support workers make prenatal and postnatal home visits and provide guidance and follow-up care until the child is 5 years old, enrolled in an early childhood program, or the family no longer requires assistance. At regular intervals, workers administer standardized assessment tools to track the quality of parent-child interactions, and monitor child development and health.

For more information on
Healthy Families Fairfax
703-324-7706
TTY: 703-222-9452
5th Floor, 12011 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax, VA 22035

 

Fairfax County Department of Family Services
Prevention Services 703-324-7720 / TTY 703-222-9452

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