Families Graduate From NOAH’s Healthy Families Program

The slideshow told the stories.

Scene after scene depicted moments of bonding between parents and their young children developing solid foundations from which children can grow safely, healthy and nurtured.

The slide show was shown during graduation ceremonies for 29 families that spent years in the Children’s Services Council’s Healthy Families program which is run by NOAH in the Glades. Workers go into the homes on a weekly basis to do well-baby checkups, teach parent-child interaction and help the bonding process. 

The program provides comprehensive education and support to families in the Belle Glade, South-Bay and Pahokee areas. The workers help parents develop goals that enable families to cope with daily problems, break cycles of poverty and lead to independence.  

“We refer them to local resources in the community based on needs,” said Claudia Garrison who’s been directing the program for 10 years. “We do a monthly assessment. They come into the program prenatal and they can stay up to five years. They move up levels according to how they progress in the program. It mainly helps them work toward self-sufficiency.” 

Three mothers offered testimonials during the ceremony at Mount Zion A.M.E. Multipurpose center in Belle Glade and spoke highly of the workers who assisted them throughout the program. 

“There was one mom that said she was in dire straits when she came to the program,” Garrison said. “There was a parent who was in an abusive relationship and we got her into Harmony House. She stayed there until she got a job then she went to school and now she’s working.”  

The graduation ceremony was for participants who enrolled in the program in 2005 and each of them received a certificate, a goody bag and a book for their participating child. Garrison said the program is not only fulfilling for the clients, but the workers as well. 

“You wouldn’t believe the comments I get,” Garrison said. It feels really good when I hear back from some of the parents. With this being such a tight, close-knit community, I happen to run into some of the Mom’s every once-in-a-while like at Winn Dixie and they’re just like: ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you!’ It’s so rewarding.” 

Parents in the program -- often single moms -- are referred by family assessment workers. If they reach a certain score they are invited to sign an agreement to participate in the voluntary multi-year program. The workers try to meet certain target outcomes with the families, or example, making sure each child in the program has all required immunizations by the age of 2. “For the past three quarters, we have met all 15 outcomes,” Garrison proudly says. 

With these 29 graduates having moved on to self-sufficiency, there is room for more families to be help, but the program continues in full swing. “We are contracted to serve 148 participants, so even with these 29 graduates, we still about 120 participants and new people referred to the program,” Garrison said. “As long as they keep having babies, we’ll be in business.” 

Note: Staff member Frankie Collins was honored at the event. She started out working with the program nine years ago on her birthday and was given a certificate of appreciation this year -- on her birthday.

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