Healthy Families Southern Maryland is a non-profit home visiting program for expectant and new parents who are residents of St. Mary’s County. The program is part of the Healthy Families America initiative to assist parents with building positive, healthy relationships with their children.
For more information, call Healthy Families Southern Maryland at (301) 392-9332 or visit www.center-for-children.org/healthy-families-southern-maryland.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can a parent enroll in the program?
Healthy Families accepts referrals at any point during pregnancy and up until two weeks after the birth of the baby, with the goal of beginning services before the baby reaches three months of age. Although referrals are submitted for the pregnant parent, Healthy Families recognizes that the whole family plays an important role in the lives of children. We strongly encourage fathers and other parenting partners to participate as well.
What does the Family Support Specialist do for parents?
For prenatal parents, Family Support Specialists provide information regarding the baby’s growth, physical changes related to pregnancy, birthing plans, bonding and attachment issues, and other related concerns. For postnatal parents, Family Support Specialists provide information regarding the baby’s growth and development, parenting issues, nutrition, and activities which promote positive parent/child relationships.
How is information presented during a home visit?
Family Support Specialists utilize curriculums emphasizing hands-on parent-child activities. Family Support Specialists use various means to convey parenting and developmental topics including videos, parent handouts, role-playing, games, toys, and interactive play.
What else can Healthy Families do for parents?
Through collaborations with our community partners, Family Support Specialists are also able to make referrals for other support services. These services include, but are not limited to, housing, financial assistance, educational, medical, and will depend on the individual family’s needs. Healthy Families ultimate goal is to teach parents how to access services independently. In addition, Healthy Families offers parents both educational and social opportunities to assist them in their personal growth as a new parent.
How often does the Family Support Specialist visit the family?
Visits are dependent on when the parents enters the program, prenatal and/or postnatal. The level of service is determined by assessing a variety of factors including the baby’s chronological age, parents’ schedule, etc. However, the Family Support Specialist typically makes weekly home visits to families during the baby’s first year of life.
What if the family does not want to participate?
Healthy Families is a voluntary program. Parents make the decision when services are no longer needed.
How much does this service cost?
The Healthy Families program is FREE. There are no costs involved for families.
Additional Resources
- Healthy Families Contact Form
- Safe Sleep Video for Infants
- Text4Baby.org: FREE text messages on prenatal care, baby health, and parenting!
- Children’s Safety Network