Healthy Families Program

2/18/10 Alert:  The Governor's proposed budget cuts all funding for Healthy Families.  Help save this vitally important program from the chopping block by contacting your representatives.  Use the following talking points to let them know that Virginia's children are too important to cut out Healthy Families from the budget!

• Please continue the legislature’s support for Healthy Families Virginia. Since 1992 this program has ensured that children get off to a strong start and are not subject to abuse or neglect. Please invest in our children. Thank you.

• Please continue the legislature’s support for Healthy Families Virginia. We have seen the impact of healthy children being ready to enter school developmentally on target and ready to learn thanks to this program. 15,000 children are impacted each year throughout the commonwealth. Thank you.

• Healthy Families is an exceptional program with proven results. If we do not do prevention work through programs like Healthy Families, we leave children at a much higher risk of being placed in protective custody. Children in foster care are less likely to graduate from high school and more likely to become juvenile offenders. Please, help us help the children of Virginia and continue your support of Healthy Families! Thank you.

To contact your representative, click here.

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Healthy Families Fairfax is part of a national program, Healthy Families America, and we are accredited by that agency.  Of the 38 HFA programs in Virginia, only 6 have been recognized by the state as achieving all of the measured State's HFF goals.  UCM's Healthy Families program is proud to be one of the six programs recognized.

Healthy Families Fairfax is a creative collaboration of three Northern Virginia non-profits (United Commuinity Ministries, Northern Virginia Family Service and Reston Interfaith), the Department of Health and the Department of Family Service. We provide long-term home visitation services for first time parents that focus on successful parenting and family support with an emphasis on preventing abuse and neglect. Participation is strictly voluntary and is at no cost for the participants.

Healthy Families Fairfax's goal is to help families create environments that are supportive of babies being born healthy because of good prenatal care.  We work to support children growing up healthy through developmental checks and timely immunizations so they can develop their full potential and enter school ready to learn.  Through referrals to community resources, we help families to live in safe, stable homes and work to ensure parents are aware of and responsible for their children’s medical and social needs.

UCM has the responsibility for two Healthy Families Fairfax sites where we presently serve approximately 199 families.

Mt. Vernon/Lee - Contact Irma Dobber 703.704.6794

Springfield - Contact Judith Reggiardo 703.913.8993