Healthy Families works with 30-40 families in Shenandoah and Page Counties every year.
When families graduate, we celebrate.
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When three families from Page County graduated from our program, we were thrilled to have Congressman Gilbert attend our celebration and personally congratulate the families.
HEALTHY FAMILIES SUCCESS STORIES
When Bryce had her daughter Olivia at the age of 19, she was nervous. She had never even held a baby before her own child.
“Imagine somebody having no experience with a baby suddenly have a baby and then not know what they’re doing,” she said. “I was a really young mom.”
Bryce lives in Page County. She decided to give Healthy Families a try when she had Olivia since it was free and there was no obligation to stay if she didn’t like it. Becky Kipps began doing home visits with Bryce, providing advice and a shoulder to lean on. Bryce liked not leaving the comfort and security of her own home.
“I try to tell my friends who are having children, ‘if you’re not in this program, if you said initially ‘no’ because you’re not comfortable with people coming to your house, they’ll meet you places, like you need to be in this program,’” Bryce said. “It’s an awesome program, it really is.”
During her visits, Becky kept Bryce on track with Olivia’s development. Between visits, Bryce would work on certain milestones with her daughter to ensure that she was growing and learning as she needed to, to update Becky at her next visit.
“We would talk about these milestones that she needs to meet and that helped out tremendously,” Bryce said.
Bryce and her daughter were a part of the program from the time her daughter was born until graduation, when Olivia turned five. The five years of providing advice, checking in, and making sure that Olivia had a healthy start in life is evident.
“From what I’m understanding from her teacher, she is one of the smartest students in her class, even though she is the youngest,” Bryce said. “She shows a lot of promise.”
Healthy Families hosts holiday programs throughout the year, during which the families they serve come together to celebrate. Bryce loved these events, as they allowed Olivia the opportunity to socialize with other children before entering preschool.
But the program does more than just provide guidance through the first five years. The team at Healthy Families works to connect families to resources and programs on a case-by-case basis, whether it’s for food, shelter, mental health support, or whatever they need.
“They’ll do their best to connect you to the right people,” Bryce said. “They will never leave you high and dry. I know they will go above and beyond your expectations to get you the right help—even if it’s a job, helping you get your resume or application done, or getting you connected with people. They really know how to work a small community connection.”
When Bryce and Olivia graduated from the program, they were sad that Becky’s visits had come to an end. Bryce feared life getting in the way of keeping in touch with Becky after graduation—but in the nearly three years since they graduated from the program, Bryce and Becky have kept up their communication, checking in occasionally and giving updates about their lives.
“The program isn’t just for kids, it’s for the parents too,” Bryce said. “It really is Healthy Families, it’s not just about the kids.”
When Heather, a resident of Page County, found out that she was pregnant with her first daughter, Emily, she decided to join Healthy Families. Her home visitor, Becky Kipps, not only became a part of her and her daughter’s lives, but assisted her through her pregnancy as well.
“Healthy Families is a really good program,” Heather said. “I would recommend it to other people for their first-time babies so that they’ll know what to do when their baby comes, because I didn’t know what to do.”
When Heather’s daughter turned five, the two graduated from the program. After Heather had her second child, she decided to reengage with the program for additional support.
“If you need help, they will help you,” she said. “They’re wonderful and great.”
Emily is now eight years old and in second grade. She receives tutoring from a student at JMU in math and reading, since they’re more difficult subjects for her, but also receives assistance with science or social studies when needed.
Healthy Families helped Heather navigate her first five years of motherhood, but over the course of Becky’s home visits, Heather herself made a lot of personal progress, like getting her license, purchasing a car, and getting a job as well.
“It makes a difference when they come to the house and do a home visit and see the kids and how they’re doing,” Heather said, “but also to see how you are doing, too.”
"I heard about Healthy Families when I gave birth to my daughter at the hospital. I wanted to get involved because I knew nothing about being a mom and I'm a single parent so I was looking for some help.
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Before getting involved with Healthy Families, I was very naive and immature. I got pregnant at 17 and was still with the father who was abusive. I didn't bond with my daughter until she was born and Healthy Families taught me to build a relationship with my daughter. I appreciated that information was presented to me, but never forced.
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Previously, I had no idea how to be a mom and I never had a good model of a mother. Healthy Families taught me what I needed to know. It was excellent."
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When 16-year-old Briana came into her local hospital pregnant with her first child, she was told about the work Healthy Families does and decided to get involved. At the time, Briana was living with her grandparents and working towards her high school diploma. After Briana gave birth to her daughter, a Healthy Families home visitor became a consistent part of Briana and her child’s life. For the next five years, Briana felt comfortable calling Becky, her home visitor, with her questions about the child, concerns about behavior, and when Briana needed help in a custody battle, Becky was there. The reference letter that Becky wrote to the court concerning Briana’s parenting skills helped Briana obtain full custody of her child.
Becky’s weekly visits helped celebrate important milestones in the child’s life and taught Briana activities to help her daughter advance. Briana and her child now live on their own and Briana has a stable job. “My daughter’s behavior has improved so much since Becky has been visiting,” Briana said. As her daughter nears five years old, the family is about to graduate from the Healthy Families program. “Becky gave me confidence in parenting my child,” she said. Briana has recommended Healthy Families to many of her friends and is thankful for the physical and emotional support of her home visitor.
"I got pregnant at 14 and had my daughter at 15. Jackie was there before I had my daughter to give me advice and check on me. She gave me print out information on raising a healthy child and consistently was there for me for 5 years. She was like a second mom to me.
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If it wasn't for Jackie, I wouldn't have graduated high school. She really pushed me. My daughter was premature at 29 weeks and was in and out of the hospital. Jackie expressed her concerns about me going back to school and I ended up graduating.
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I became pregnant again my senior year of high school and the father and I are still together. He raises my daughter like his own and we are very happy as a family. My son is almost 5 and my daughter is 8, they are both very smart and doing well in school.
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I once asked Jackie if she could come twice a week because I enjoyed her visits so much. She always brought us something we needed like clothes or diapers and she would often bring games for the kids. She gave us resources and took me to WIC appointments and other important meetings. Jackie was always there to help. There's nothing more I would ask for."
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Sherri became pregnant with her son at a time in her life when her circumstances were changing rapidly, and she needed a consistent voice of support for her and her child. Sherri found this wisdom from her home visitor, Becky. “Becky has been my backbone. I call her with all my questions, and I’ll keep calling even after we graduate.” Becky referred Sherri's son to speech and occupational therapy when Becky saw developmental delays. Becky taught Sherri activities to do with her son to build his fine and gross motor skills. Although Sherri's son did not speak until 2 years old, he went on to attend pre-school and is now in elementary school.
However, Becky did not only support Sherri's son. Becky helped her apply for Medicaid and supported her in her relationship with her new husband. The couple now welcomes Becky into their home as a close friend. Becky referred Sherri to an advisor for further aid with financial matters. For this family, a Healthy Families home visitor is much more than a child development expert.
Single mother Andrea first heard about Healthy Families while at the hospital giving birth to her daughter. After recovering from traumatic medical issues, Andrea and her daughter lived with the child’s abusive father. Throughout these tumultuous circumstances, Andrea’s home visitor was there. Becky listened to Andrea and encouraged her when she had no other support. Because of the father’s negative influence, Andrea had little confidence in herself and feared the future.
Becky referred Andrea to James Madison University Counseling and Psychological Services Clinic because she was concerned for Andrea’s mental health. This counseling gave Andrea the courage to leave her abusive relationship in order to protect her daughter. “It was easier to hide what was happening than to tell anyone. But Healthy Families was a help even when they didn’t know to what degree they were helping,” Andrea said. When Andrea second-guessed her instincts, Healthy Families gave her ways to improve her daughter’s well-being. When the young family lived in a women’s shelter, Becky visited them and conducted home visits wherever they were.
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Andrea’s daughter also sought counseling and has greatly improved her physical and mental well-being. “She benefited from the activities and books from Healthy Families. She still loves books!” Andrea is grateful for the work Healthy Families has done and the consistent support they provided when she felt alone. This family graduated from Healthy Families, but Andrea still keeps in contact with Becky and sees her as someone she can call whenever she needs to.