Healthy Families
Who We Serve
Our Healthy Families North Georgia Program is a free parenting and family support service provided at no cost to participants. Leveraging curriculum and resources from First Steps Georgia and Healthy Families America (HFA), Wellroot Family Support Specialists meet with families of young children in the home and work with them to cultivate and strengthen nurturing parent-child relationships, promote healthy childhood growth and development, and enhance family functioning.
Currently, our Healthy Families North Georgia Program is available in Hall and Gwinnett Counties. We plan to expand HFA to other service areas including Forsyth, Dawson, and Lumpkin as capacity allows and community needs demand.
How We Serve
First Steps Georgia
The mission of First Steps Georgia is to provide universal support services for all expectant parents and all families with children ages birth to five. First Steps Georgia provides families with parenting information on topics relevant to parent and child health and safety and a guide containing information on community resources appropriate for expectant parents and children birth to five and their families.
First Steps services also include providing referrals to relevant resources and age-appropriate information in at least the following categories:
- Maternal Health
- Newborn/Child Health
- Home and Child Safety
- Community and Family Safety
- School Readiness
- Family Economic Self-sufficiency
Some families enrolled in First Steps Georgia may go on enter the HFA home visiting program.
Healthy Families America
HFA is the nationally recognized, evidence-based home visiting program of Prevent Child Abuse America. HFA builds a strong foundation for safe and secure relationships between caregivers and children, maximizing opportunities for all children to reach their full potential. Families enroll voluntarily in a home visiting program as early as prenatally or at birth and work one-on-one with a Family Support Specialist in the home, receiving services tailored to their needs, until the child is three years old. Through case management, Family Support Specialists provide information and guidance on parent-child attachment, childhood growth and development, and family functioning. Eligibility requirements are pregnant moms or moms of infants up to 3 months, living in Hall or Gwinnett County with Medicaid or uninsured. We have bilingual staff that are fluent in Spanish that work with Spanish-speaking families.
Contact Us:
Brittany Adams – badams@wellroot.org
Gainesville office – 770-531-3063
Contacto:
Brittany Adams- badams@wellroot.org
Oficina de Gainesville- 770-531-3063
Other Resources:
Below are some helpful resources for new mothers:
Tracking your child’s development
Breastfeeding
- Feeding Your Newborn: Tips for New Parents
- Find a Breast Pump
- Mother to Baby Fact Sheet
- Answers to frequently asked questions about pregnancy & breastfeeding exposure, including medications, recreational substances, cosmetic treatments, health conditions, infections, vaccines, and more.
Safety in the home
- https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/kids-and-babies/childproofing-your-home-12-safety-devices-protect
- https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Childproofing-Your-Home.aspx
Community resources in Hall County
Car Seat Safety
- https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx
- https://www.nghs.com/class-schedule/
Safe Sleep
- https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2019-02/Safe_Sleep_Environ_update.pdf
- https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2019-02/Safe_Sleep_Environ_Span_update.pdf
Healthy Attachment