OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Health Department wraps up its celebration of National Public Health Week by highlighting its Healthy Families Program.
“This is a hands-on service we offer to new and expectant parents in Oswego County,” said Oswego County Deputy Public Health Director Jodi Martin. “We are all proud of the Healthy Families Program, because it helps parents make positive changes in their lives and see the value it can bring to their families. The joy of watching them succeed benefits us as much as it does the families.”
The Healthy Families Program is an evidence-based, voluntary program that helps connect parents with community resources as needed. It provides home visits with trained staff who offer parenting support such as prenatal care, infant and child development screenings, and bonding activities.
According to Healthy Families New York, participants have healthier babies, demonstrate better knowledge of parenting and child development, create positive family bonds, develop connections to community services and have children who do better in school.
“The Healthy Families Program supports expectant and new mothers and fathers by helping them become the best parents they can,” said Betty Dunsmoor, coordinator of the Oswego County Healthy Families Program. “Our primary goal is to help prevent child abuse and neglect by ensuring optimal prenatal and child health and development, promoting positive parenting skills and parent-child interactions and encouraging family self-sufficiency.”
The program is open to parents as soon as their pregnancy is confirmed by a doctor (whether it’s their first baby or not) or if they have an infant younger than three months. Participants begin with a referral, which can be made by anyone, including themselves. However, if the referral is made by the Oswego County Department of Social Services and qualifies under Child Welfare Protocol, parents with children up to two years of age may be allowed into the program.
Dunsmoor shares an experience with a new mom in the program.
“We had a client who became homeless shortly after giving birth,” Dunsmoor started. “She reached out to us for help and we directed her to the best resources for her situation.
“We were most struck by how positive this mom was and how she never gave up,” she continued. “Despite her circumstances, she took wonderful care of her baby, giving the infant so much love and attention; and her face just lit up with every bit of encouragement we gave her.”
The mom continued to struggle with housing that first year, but Healthy Families’ staff stayed by her side, helping her with emergency needs, guiding her to various programs and showing her how to advocate for herself. Now, the mom and her child are flourishing – living in their own apartment while the mom goes to college and works full-time to support herself and her baby.
“This mom continues to impress me,” said Dunsmoor. “Every time she gets knocked down, she gets back up. She’s an amazing mom and continues to make sure her baby is thriving no matter what. It goes without saying that she is a positive influence on her child, but she has also made an incredible impact on us as well.”
The program also provides opportunities for parents to attend social and educational events that allow them to connect with other parents and share their experiences.
This local program is an affiliate of Healthy Families New York and Healthy Families America.
For more information about Oswego County’s Healthy Families program, call 315-349-3553 or visit https://health.oswegocounty.com/programs/1_preventive/healthy_families.
This year is the 30th anniversary of National Public Health Week, which serves to recognize and celebrate the hard work and dedication that goes into maintaining and promoting public health. In addition to highlighting its various divisions and programs, the health department also hosted free activities such as CPR training, breast cancer screenings, an art show in support of mental health and a “Kids Day Beach Party.”
For more information on the Oswego County Health Department and its divisions, visit https://health.oswegocounty.com/ or call 315-349-3545.
Discover more from Oswego County Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.