Shelter’s Healthy Families abuse prevention program is for first-time parents with multiple challenges whose babies are birth through five. Normally, the program consists of intensive home visitations with goals of enhancing family functioning, promoting healthy child growth and development, and positive parent-child relationships.
During the pandemic crisis, Healthy Families visitations have switched to phone and video calls, and staff has left critically needed items like diapers and wipes on doorsteps to maintain required self -distancing.
Our support workers, who serve 48 families, have been told how much their calls are appreciated, as so many parents have no other support system.
We salute parents in our Healthy Families program for the courage they have shown during this traumatic and uncertain time. Below are some of the challenges they are reporting.
- Being low-income families, they have no emergency back-up fund
- Many parents work in the food and retail industry. Those who haven’t lost their jobs already anticipate losing them in the next week or two.
- With childcare centers closed, some must choose between taking care of their children at home and having money coming in.
- Early intervention services, like therapists’ visits for children with autism, have been cut.
- Undocumented families, and those with no insurance, are particularly fearful of getting sick.
- The most critical need is for diapers and baby wipes.
One of our mothers is a high school student whose parents lost their jobs due to the pandemic. She has had to work full-time to support her family while her parents care for her baby. She worries about what will happen when the crisis is over and whether she’ll be able to return to school or must continue to work full-time.
Shelter’s Director of Healthy Families, Lynn Pucklewartz, said, “Our team has been amazing during this challenging time. I’m really grateful for them, especially for keeping such a positive attitude.”
Besides staying in touch and dropping off essential items and gift cards, our staff sends activities for children and links to educational websites. We are staying current with other community service programs, from food banks to healthcare services, for any referrals our families may need.
When we all work together as a community, no child or family will be left behind.