Healthy Families provides voluntary home visits to families to promote healthy parent-child relationships and prevent child abuse and neglect. During home visits, staff provide education on child development, parenting skills, access to community resources, and screenings to track family health and development. The program aims to address factors that contribute to child maltreatment like parental mental health, stress, and isolation. Evaluation tools are used to measure child development and refer families to early intervention services when needed.

1. +
3833 N. Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208
317-775-6500

2. + Healthy Families mission:
To support the empowerment of families by
teaching skills in parent-child interaction
and problem solving,
while encouraging
self-sufficiency
and healthy
parent-child
relationships
through
voluntary
home visits

3. +
In 2013, Healthy Families
Served: Children
Provided: Home Visits
Made: Community Referrals4047
7319
892

4. + Healthy Families was founded
to decrease the prevalence of
child abuse and neglect
In 2011:
 9 out of every 1000 children experienced maltreatment
 41 of 1000, or 3 million children, were involved with CPS
 78% of child maltreatment is neglect
-Data from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

5. +
Young children experience the
highest rate of maltreatment
 21 of 1000 babies under 1 year
 experienced maltreatment
 Of all victims, 27% are under age 3
 and 19% are age 3-5
 82% of fatalities related to child
 abuse or neglect were suffered by
 children under 4

6. + ACE study:
 Analyzes relationship between childhood trauma and the risk for
 physical and mental illness in adulthood.
 It is critical to understand how some of the worst health and social
 problems in our nation can arise as a consequence of adverse
 childhood experiences.
 Realizing these connections is likely to improve efforts towards
 prevention and recovery.
 Studied over
 17,000 middle-class
 adults from the US

7. + The study looks at 10 Adverse
Childhood Experiences
(though there are many more)
Abuse:
 Recurrent physical abuse
 Recurrent emotional abuse
 Recurrent sexual abuse
Living in a household where:
 Alcohol and drugs were used
 A household member was
incarcerated
 Someone was chronically depressed,
mentally ill, or suicidal
 The mother was treated violently
 One biological parent was not
available to the child—parents
divorced or separated
Neglect:
 Emotional neglect
 Physical neglect

8. + Higher ACE scores related to
serious health problems
Healthy Families America estimates that 60% of mothers
enrolled in the program have scores of 4 or higher
Individuals with ACE scores over 4 are:
260% more likely to develop lung disease
240% more likely to use intravenous drugs
250% more likely to contract an STD
460% more likely to experience depression

9. +
Child factors:
 Perceived as being different or special needs
 Irritable, difficult temperaments
 Premature, low birth weight
Contributing factors for
Child Abuse and Neglect
Parent/Caregiver factors:
 Depression
 Lack of support
 Low self-esteem
 Substance abuse
 Multiple life stressors
 History of abuse/neglect
 Relationship issues/domestic violence
 Unrealistic developmental expectations
Environmental factors:
 Unsafe communities
 Social isolation
 Inadequate financial resources

10. +
Healthy Families strategies:
 Promoting healthy parent-child interaction and attachment
 Increasing knowledge of child development and appropriate
expectations of children
 Reducing social
isolation
 Improving use of
preventive health care
 Providing access to
community resources
for families

11. + Positive Parent-Child
Interactions
Children who have secure
Attachments early on:
 Develop stronger self-esteem and
better self-reliance
 Tend to be more independent
 Perform better in school
 Have successful social relationships
 Experience less depression
and anxiety
The first 3 years of a baby’s life are the most important for development

12. + Health/Safety
Education
 Initial Safety Topics: SIDS, safe sleep, blunt force trauma, who is
watching the baby, smoking, fire safety, poison safety, shaken baby
syndrome, etc.
 Assist families in obtaining
and tracking Well Child
checks and immunizations
 Update on any community
outbreaks or concerns
 Educate about baby proofing

13. +
Basic Child Development
and Education
Parenting is the most important, but most
difficult job, anyone can have. Our aim is to
support parents through this journey.
During our time together we discuss:
 Milestones and growth
 Stress reduction
 Soothing babies
 Identifying cues
 Toilet training
 Discipline
 And much more

14. + Addressing Family
Challenges
 Finding Employment
 Finances
 Organization
 Substance Abuse
 Mental Health
 Healthy Relationships
 Domestic Violence
Sometimes we all need a little more social support and education.

15. +
Family Goal Planning
The 3 MMM’S:
 Mission (Specific)
 Mini (Achievable)
 Measurable
 Support (System)
We teach problem solving skills through the process of goal
planning, setting, and executing throughout our
program journey with the families.

16. +
FUN ACTIVITIES that are
educational and interactive

17. +
Screens used to track parent
health and home environment:
 North Carolina Family Assessment Scale for General Services
 Center for Epidemiologic Studies
Depression Scale
 Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale
 Healthy Families Parenting Inventory ©
 Home Scale- observation-based

18. + Tools to measure child
development:
 ASQ-3: Administered at 2, 4, 8,
12, 24, 30, and 36
 ASQ-SE: Screen given at months
6,12, 18, 24, 30 and 36
 Scored and discussed with
parents during home visit
 Referrals made to First Steps
or doctor

19. +
Healthy Families process for
referring to First Steps

20. +
How Healthy Families and First
Steps can work together:
 First Steps can refer clients who are pregnant with another
child so that we can provide extra support
 Healthy Families can encourage and help
parents to work toward their First Step goals
 Healthy Families and First Steps can
communicate what development activities are
being done so they can build on each other