Prevention is the best form of protection in cases of child abuse or neglect. Families Forward Virginia, a state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, serves as a resource to prevent child abuse, neglect and poverty. Its primary mission is to fortify families by equipping them with tools to prevent reaching the crisis point and enabling them to adjust if a crisis does occur.
“Not to give you a handout, to give you a hand up to feel empowered in taking the next steps to ensure your family is nurtured,” said Jamia Crockett, CEO of Families Forward Virginia.
Families Forward utilizes a community-based approach to meet families where they are most comfortable. It works with a variety of partners to connect families with resources and support systems within their area, including home visiting services.
Home Visiting Programs
Families Forward’s primary form of intervention is through its home visiting programs, which pair family support professionals with expectant parents and families with young children for free one-on-one sessions, typically within their own home at their convenience.
“There are many paths to prevention,” Crockett said. “We interface with other community partners and family-serving organizations to create a continuum of warm hand-offs. Home visiting is one of the vehicles to do that.”
It utilizes three of the largest evidence-based home visiting models in Virginia – CHIP of Virginia, Healthy Families Virginia and Parents as Teachers Virginia. Programs are selected based on the model and level of support that is best suited to each family’s needs and provide flexibility with the frequency and duration of participation.
These voluntary programs are not affiliated with Child Protective Services, instead deploying trained home visitors to listen, offer guidance and serve as a support system through the beginning stages of one of life’s most rewarding, yet challenging, times: parenthood.
Healthy Families Virginia
Healthy Families focuses on building and nurturing secure relationships between parents and children early in life to promote positive parenting skills and healthy development. The program helps families experiencing stressors such as low income, single parenthood, limited knowledge or anxiousness about being a new parent.
CHIP of Virginia
The Comprehensive Health Investment Project (CHIP) pairs families with a registered nurse and parent educator to give expectant parents and families with young children increased access to health resources. The combined support ensures that parents are taking a productive approach regarding their family’s health while building relevant skills to promote school readiness and positive discipline approaches. Educators also aid with self-sufficiency goals that enable families to flourish.
Parents as Teachers Virginia
The goal of Parents as Teachers is to promote holistic early development, learning and health with an emphasis on positive parent-child interaction and development-centered parenting. Providing parents with this network of resources reinforces their role as guardians and informs their future decisions.
Bridging Families to Support
Families Forward Virginia’s true strength is its deep, statewide connections – linking families to direct services and resources beyond its own programs or limitations. With a vast network of family resource centers and nearly 60 community and affiliate partners, the nonprofit helps families get the right support when and where they need it most.
In addition to its network of partners and home visiting programs, Families Forward hosts Circle of Parents, a statewide, parent-led support group offering a safe space for parents to express themselves and learn from each other.
It also stays connected at the grassroots level by partnering with Lived Experience (LEX) leaders. LEX leaders are community members who intimately understand specific struggles, gaps in support and opportunities for community development. They provide key insights into community needs and the best ways to serve them and their neighbors.
“We try to get away from the idea of inviting them to the table,” said Hamilton Holloway, communications and policy director at Families Forward. “Instead, we go to their table and try to understand what is going on in the community and with families directly.” Learn more about how Families Forward is working to prevent child abuse in Virginia and what you can do to support by visiting www.familiesforwardva.org.
