Ross County Healthy Families Receives National Accreditation

Article Presented By Kingston National Bank…

(Chillicothe) – Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) has announced that the Healthy Families America (HFA) affiliate, Ross County Healthy Families, a Ross County Health District (RCHD) program, has been accredited as a provider of high-quality home visiting services to pregnant families and families with infants and young children.

HFA provides the model that guides how Health Help Me Grow (RCHD Child and Family program) provides services to enrolled families. “Our accreditation through PCA America shows that we are providing the highest quality of service to the families enrolled in our program,” said Amie Unger, RCHD Child and Family Health Division Director. “I am so proud of our dedicated team for this accomplishment,” Unger added.

Help Me Grow (HMG) Home Visiting is an RCHD evidence-based voluntary family support program for pregnant women or new parents that promotes healthy growth and development for babies and young children. HMG home visitors are well-trained professionals who use a nonjudgmental and compassionate approach, giving parents the skills, tools, and confidence to nurture their children’s healthy growth. The parenting education and child development resources provided to families allow them to maximize this critical period of development in their child’s life, providing a foundation for lasting success.

HFA is the signature program of PCA America and has provided home visiting services for nearly 30 years. Expectant and new parents face new stressors and have questions about their child’s development. HFA connects families through community partners like hospitals and pediatricians to support parents, meeting within the familiarity and convenience of the family’s own home. HFA 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 the Ross County Health District 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 the Ross County Health District 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.”   

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, such as: 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, such as financial, housing, partner relationship, etc., that may become heightened with an addition to the family. 

PCA America was established in 1972 with the belief that child abuse and neglect is preventable. The not-for-profit, volunteer-based organization is committed to preventing child abuse in all forms through education, research, public awareness, and public policy development. Today, PCA America supports a network of state chapters across the United States.

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 in 38 states, D.C., the U.S. Territories and Israel.

Healthy Families America is an effective and proven evidence-based home visiting program according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. PCA America is proud to support HFA and to be part of a national movement dedicated to improving the lives of families and children. 

If you would like to make a referral to this program, please call Amie Unger at (740) 779-9652 ext. 2241 or visit https://rosscountyhealth.org/help-me-grow-home-visiting.