Aaron Leavy, Author at Colorado Home Visiting Coalition

Nurse-Family Partnership and Parents as Teachers receive the highest rating from Prevention Services Clearinghouse

The Nurse-Family Partnership® and Parents as Teachers home visiting models have received the highest possible rating from the Prevention Services Clearinghouse (PSC). Both models were rated “well-supported” by the PSC which reviews research on programs and services that support children and families and prevent foster care placements. The PSC is charged with reviewing programs to determine eligibility for funding from Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018.

Nurse-Family Partnership and Parents as Teachers are two of the seven models in the Colorado Home Visiting Coalition.

Helping parents advocate for themselves

Losing a job is always a shock. For many of the parents in our programs it can be catastrophic. In these moments, the support parents receive from their home visitors is invaluable.

Lupe* has been a part of the Growing Home Parents as Teachers program for two years. She was recently fired without being given any reason, and when she asked about her final check her supervisor said it would be mailed. However, after three weeks of checking her mail continuously, nothing arrived.

Distraught, she called her Parents as Teachers home visitor asking for advice. Her home visitor suggested contacting the owner (rather than her supervisor) and helped her prepare mentally for the conversation. Talking to the owner paid off – literally – as the next time the home visitor saw Lupe she had her final check in hand.

Being able to work with a trusted ally, like her home visitor, gave Lupe the confidence to to stand up for her rights in a difficult situation. Home visiting and the relationships it creates improve the lives of families in myriad ways.

*(Name changed)

Supporting the whole family

In December, 2018, one of Clayton Early Learning‘s home visitors was assigned a homeless family that came to the HIPPY program from Clayton’s Community Services team. Her first visit with the family was in a very small one room trailer that was given to them by a family member until the family’s financial circumstances improved. The mother had lost her job and CCAP, and her husband had left the family.

Despite the many difficulties she was facing, the parent was incredibly kind and gracious during every visit. The mother’s number one goal was to get all three of her children, who were all enrolled in HIPPY, into a full time early childhood education program so that she could go back to work. With guidance and support from her home visitor, the mother was able to get her CCAP benefits restored and register the children in a full time early childhood education program successfully. This enabled the mother to her previous employment.

The family benefited from referrals that the home visitor was able to suggest; so that over time the family accessed a food pantry and mental health services. She was able to benefit from mental health services for herself and one of her children.

During the holidays Clayton was able to give each member of the family a gift from our community collaborations. The family was overjoyed and appreciative, since the parent was not able to afford any Christmas gifts for her children. Though the family was not in our program for long, they received what they needed during a time when there were not other resources available to them.

On her last visit this mother said to her home visitor:

“I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”

Talking about challenges and changing outcomes for a multi-generational home

The following story comes from a woman enrolled in the Family Star Home Based Head Start and Parents as Teachers (PAT) program.

“Although we are a family of three (myself, my three year old daughter and a newborn), we are fortunate enough to have a support network in our multigenerational home which consists of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and, cousins. We have been a part of Family Star’s home-based program for the past several months and we love everything that the program has to offer. The visits are always fun and supportive.

In our family, we don’t usually discuss challenges we are facing, but home visits provide an opportunity to talk about our problems, explore solutions, and to just have someone listen. Prior to starting with our parent educator, we did not interact or talk with our kids. Now, we have a better understanding of the importance of engaging with them, responding to their feelings and how we can help them learn. We have noticed a big difference, my daughter and her cousins are talking more and are learning colors, shapes and counting. Home visiting is also changing things with the older cousins in the home and has been instrumental in encouraging communication and building relationships with each other.

The program (Home Based Head Start with Parents as Teachers) has made a large impact on our family. Our parent educator has connected us to the mental health and disabilities coordinator who came on a home visit to conduct a speech observation, explain the evaluation and IEP process and answer any questions we had. We were also able to get recommendations from the health and nutrition coordinator when we needed to find a milk alternative for one of the children. She provided us with several options and the benefits and concerns for each.”
The program (Head Start and PAT) has made a large impact on our family. Our parent educator has connected us to the mental health and disabilities coordinator who came on a home visit to conduct a speech observation, explain the evaluation and IEP process and answer any questions we had. We were also able to get recommendations from the health and nutrition coordinator when we needed to find a milk alternative for one of the children. She provided us with several options and the benefits and concerns for each.”

New research finds HealthySteps reduces future maternal and child healthcare costs

New research from University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital Colorado finds that participating in HealthySteps averted future mental health costs for mothers and their children. What is more, the savings in terms of future mental health care is greater than the cost of administering the program. Simply put, the research suggests that investing in HealthySteps today, prevents larger mental health costs in the future.

Economic estimates vary but in terms of cost averted the program cost of $575 per child likely averted between $641 and $959 in future costs.

Read the full research article here

In Colorado HealthySteps is supported by Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) which serves as the state program office.

Finding Stability Through Home Visiting

A mother enrolled in Pueblo’s SafeCare and HIPPY programs shared the impact of home visiting on her family. Through home visiting from Catholic Charities of Pueblo she and her family were able to find stability.

Earlier this year, my family was having a very tough time, along with other challenges, we had a car accident. My infant, nine-year-old, husband, and I were fine, but our car was not. The money we saved to move into our own place went to car repairs.
Things seemed to be going from bad to worse, when I met Jewl with Catholic Charities. She was just what we needed at this low point. We joined the Catholic Charities SafeCare Program for the baby. SafeCare provided us with the information and tools needed to childproof our home and keep our crawling baby protected. Jewl also referred us to Catholic Charities’ Home Stability Program, where they provided our first month’s rent, and we were able to pay our deposit, with my husband’s first paycheck. At last, we had a home to call our own.
We were still struggling to make ends meet, and I was frantically hunting for a job when Jewl told me about the HIPPY Program where parent can serve by helping other families get their kids ready for school while earning and education award for themselves. Excitedly, I applied and was chosen as a HIPPY Home Visitor!
Now, my family is doing so much better. Our children are safe and thriving. My husband and I can envision a future for ourselves and our children. We are so grateful that Catholic Charities entered our lives, lightened and load, and helped us get back on our feet. I am serving as HIPPY AmeriCorps Member with Catholic Charities and love helping others, while serving with an agency that helps families.