Meeting Street expands home-visiting programs

JENNIFER BONILLA of Providence’s Meeting Street works with Elias Castillo to help him practice fine-motor skills and matching shapes through the Healthy  Families America Initiative.
JENNIFER BONILLA of Providence’s Meeting Street works with Elias Castillo to help him practice fine-motor skills and matching shapes through the Healthy Families America Initiative.

Meeting Street, a nonprofit organization that focuses on child development, education, training and research, has expanded its home-visiting programs after being awarded 115 of the 150 Healthy Families America participation slots available to Providence families. Meeting Street previously oversaw 36 slots.
Through the HFA program, expectant mothers or families with newborns will be paired with a Meeting Street family support worker who provides services to the family until the child’s third birthday.
John Kelly, president and CEO, hopes that this increased capacity will allow Meeting Street to reach more mothers during the prenatal stage.
Healthy Families America is a national home-visiting program for overburdened mothers and their children. The HFA model was developed in 1992 by Prevent Child Abuse America. It is based on 12 critical elements, which were derived from 30 years of research. HFA’s goals include strengthening families and engaging communities while preventing abuse and neglect of children. •

No posts to display