Home Visiting Team
Healthy Families New York
Healthy Families New York (HFNY) offers home-based services to expectant families and new parents, beginning prenatally or shortly after the birth of the child. Participants are screened to identify risk factors and stressors that the family may face. Families who participate in the program are offered long-term in-home services until the child is in school or Head Start.
The Healthy Families New York Home Visiting Program is a comprehensive prevention program that focuses on the safety of children while at the same time supports families. The services are easily accessible to isolated at-risk families and are respectful of cultural and community diversity.
Healthy Families New York is an initiative of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services in collaboration with the New York State Department of Health. HFNY is affiliated with Healthy Families America, a national initiative of Prevent Child Abuse America.
The Key Elements of the Healthy Families New York Program:
- Reaches out to isolated families.
- Is provided by trained, caring individuals from the community. Called Family Support Workers, the home visitors are specially trained to work with families in a positive, supportive manner, building on parents’ strengths.
- Offers weekly visits until the baby is at least six months old, then less often as the family’s stability increases.
- Promotes optimal child health, connecting families with medical providers for prenatal and well-baby visits and immunizations.
- Helps parents to develop strong, positive relationships with their children and to encourage their children’s optimal development.
- Assesses children for developmental delays and makes referrals to the local Early Intervention Program if a delay is suspected.
- Works with parents to achieve family self-sufficiency, find solutions to everyday problems and establish connections with needed community resources.
- Is sponsored by public and private agencies located within the community being served.
For more information, download the Healthy Families brochure. (PDF 9Mb)
Healthy Families New York Reports
- Evaluation Summary through Age 7: 2010 (PDF 291 Kb)
- Early Program Cost Synopsis: 2009 (PDF 34 Kb)
- PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS: DuMont, K., Kirkland, K., Mitchell-Herzfeld, S., Ehrhard-Dietzel, S., Rodriquez, M., Lee, E., Layne, C., and Greene, R. (2010). A Randomized Trial of Healthy Families New York (HFNY): Does Home Visiting Prevent Child Maltreatment? Final Report to National Institute of Justice (Grant # 2006-MU-MU-0002). (http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/232945.pdf). Rodriguez, M. L., Dumont, K., Mitchell-Herzfeld, S. D., Walden, N. J., Greene, R. (2010). Effects of Healthy Families New York on the promotion of maternal parenting competencies and the prevention of harsh parenting. Child Abuse and Neglect, 34, 711-723. Lee, E., Mitchell-Herzfeld, S., Lowenfels, A., Greene, R., Dorabawila, V., & DuMont, K. (2009). Reducing low birth weight through home visitation: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 36(2), 154-160. Lee, E., Greene, R., Mitchell-Herzfeld, S., & DuMont, K. (2009). Author response: Reducing low birth weight through home visitation. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 37(5), 472-473. DuMont, K., Mitchell-Herzfeld, S., Greene, R., Lee, E., Lowenfels, A., Rodriguez, M., & Dorabawila, V. (2008). Healthy Families New York (HFNY) randomized trial: Effects on early child abuse and neglect. Child Abuse & Neglect, 32, 295-315.
A Randomized Trial of Healthy Families New York (HFNY):
Does Home Visiting Prevent Child Maltreatment? 10/2010 (PDF 790 Kb)
- OCFS WORKING PAPERS AND REPORTS: DuMont, K., Rodriguez, M., Mitchell-Herzfeld, S., Walden, N., Kirkland, K., Greene, R., Lee, E. (2008). Effects of Healthy Families New York on maternal behaviors: Observational assessments of positive and negative parenting. Rensselaer, NY: New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
Effects of Healthy Families New York on Maternal Behaviors:
Observational Assessments of Positive and Negative Parenting 7/2008 (206 Kb)
DuMont, K., Mitchell-Herzfeld, S., Greene, R., Lee, E., Lowenfels, A., & Rodriquez, M. (2006). Healthy Families New York (HFNY) randomized trial: Impacts on parenting after the first two years. Rensselaer, NY: New York State Office of Children & Family Services
2006 Healthy Families - Impacts on Parenting after the First Two Years
Mitchell-Herzfeld, S., Izzo, C., Greene, R., Lee, E., & Lowenfels, A. (2005). Evaluation of Healthy Families New York (HFNY): First year program impacts. Rensselaer, NY: New York State Office of Children & Family Services
Evaluation of Healthy Families New York (HFNY): First Year Program Impacts, February 2005 (PDF 481Kb)
- Healthy Families New York: Results of First Year Evaluation, 2004 (PDF 62Kb)
- Healthy Families New York (HFNY) Randomized Trial: Impacts on Parenting After the First Two Years (PDF 625Kb)
