The Home Visitation Programs are family-strength-based prevention efforts targeted at breaking the cycle of child abuse and maltreatment by working with at-risk parents and their children. All programs utilize trained paraprofessionals.

• Parent Aide Program
• Early Advantages
• CDC Study RE: Home Visiting

Parent Aide Program

The Parent Aide Program works with parents under stress and those school-aged children who are at risk or have been exposed to abuse and maltreatment. The Parent Aides provide assistance by developing trusting relationships with the parents and providing positive role models. The improvement in parenting and individual coping skills assists in reducing the interpersonal violence within the home. The Aides are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in times of crisis. If you are interested in volunteering as a Parent Aide, just click here. If you think you might want a Parent Aide to visit you, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Have you ever felt that for one reason or another, you have mistreated your children?


• Do you love your children but find it hard to show them your love?


• Do you often feel alone and depressed because you have no one to talk with?


• Do you become severely angry with your children, even when they have done nothing wrong?


• Were you mistreated as a child?

If you answered, "yes," to any of these questions, a Parent Aide can help.

Parent Aides can give support and understanding necessary to prevent child abuse and maltreatment.

You may need a Parent Aide because:

• Every parent has the potential to abuse or neglect a child at some time, yet less than 50% of adults abused as children grow to abuse their own children...if they get help


• Whenever child abuse or neglect occurs, there are always two victims - the child and the parent...both need help

Contact BHSN's Parent Aide Program by calling Laura Holzer at 518-563-8206, ext. 136.

Early Advantages

Early Advantages is a pro-active primary prevention program, uses home visitors to prevent child abuse and maltreatment, increase positive health and developmental outcomes of families, and empower families to achieve their self-sufficiency goals. The program, modeled after the Healthy Families-America concept, works with high-risk, first time parents in various Clinton County zip codes. Approximately 70% of the caseload are teen and young adult parents. The home visitors can remain with the families for up to 5 years or until the targeted child enters preschool. Home visitors are also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in times of crisis.

A Program that Works!

• A baby will be born soon. His mother is 18 years old and very depressed. She has a high risk pregnancy and has a lot of economic and emotional problems. She doesn’t have any family around and doesn’t have any support from her boyfriend.


• A baby is born prematurely, weighing less than two pounds. The mother was raised in a family that was physically abusive. She has nobody else in her life and is now the type of person who holds it all inside.


• This is where EARLY ADVANTAGES comes in, offering voluntary home visiting services to high-risk expectant families and new parents. Early Advantages home visitors help parents learn about positive parenting skills and how to solve problems that could lead to child abuse. They provide friendship, support and assistance to parents at the most vulnerable time in their children’s lives.


• Listen to why these mothers are pleased to be in the program:
  
  "I grew up in a family that was physically abusive, and I’m determined to protect my baby."
  
  "I’ve never been a mother before and I don’t know how to do this. Without my home visitor, I’d be alone. I’d be much more stressed."

Contact Early Advantages by calling 518-563-8206 and ask for Vanessa Dumont (ext. 141) or Laura Holzer (ext. 136).

Early Advantages is part of the NYS Home Visiting Program from the Office of Children & Family Services, administered locally through the Clinton County Youth Bureau, and a grant from the William B. Hoyt Children & Family Trust Fund.

The New York Family Resources website is filled with great information for parents and grandparents - take a look: www.nysfamilyresources.org