Martinsville, Virginia - Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) recently announced that Healthy Families West Piedmont, a program of
Piedmont Community Services and affiliate of Healthy Families America, has received accreditation as a provider of high quality home visiting
services to pregnant families and families with infants and young children.
Expectant and new parents often face new stressors and have questions about their child’s development.
Healthy Families America connects with families through community partners like hospitals and pediatricians to support parents, meeting within the familiarity and convenience of the family’s own home.
Healthy Families America is an accessible, voluntary and well-received service.
“HFA sites utilize evidence-based best practices to provide individualized support to families when needed most, and linkages to community
services,” said Melissa Merrick, President and CEO of PCA America. “We congratulate Healthy Families West Piedmont and we commend the
staff for their leadership and commitment that has contributed to this most notable and highly regarded achievement.”
The accreditation process is based upon a stringent set of 12 critical elements grounded in more than 30 years of research.
The process involves an in-depth examination of the site’s operation, as well as, the quality of the visits made by HFA home visitors.
“We commend Healthy Families West Piedmont for opening itself up to such an intensive review process,” said Kathleen Strader, National
Director of HFA. “We believe that all families and all communities deserve access to quality home visiting services.”
The HFA site in Martinsville is located at 3 Dudley Street.
“It makes me proud to be working in a program that is accredited,” stated Rhonda Fulp, Family Support Specialist for Healthy Families West
Piedmont. “This shows that our team takes seriously the role in making sure families thrive. I see families progressing as they meet goals, using
resources in the community.”
One of the mothers served by Healthy Families West Piedmont said, “I am so thankful for the home visiting program. It has helped me to feel more
confident in being a mom. I want to be the best mom to my kids and Healthy Families has been a good thing for my family. We love Ms. Ginger.”
One of the primary goals of HFA home visiting is to promote nurturing, responsive parent-child relationships.
Home visitors in each community receive extensive training on a wide range of topics important to just about every new parent.
These topics can include caring for a new baby, ensuring the baby is receiving the nutrition needed, promoting healthy child development, and coping with a myriad of other potential stresses that may become heightened with an addition to the family.
PCA America implemented the Healthy Families America (HFA) initiative in 1992.
HFA serves families of all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, meeting the needs of close to 600 communities including Martinsville and the Counties of Henry, Patrick and Franklin.
Healthy Families America is an effective and proven evidence-based home visiting program according the U.S. Department of Health & Human
Services.
Piedmont Community Services is proud of the accreditation received by Healthy Families West Piedmont and proud to be part of a
national movement dedicated to improving the lives of families and children.