HFNY Graduates Cross the Finish Line

"In [our] eyes, you are the best parents you can be. We are happy you let us be part of your lives,” said Esther Piper, Director of Healthy Families New York (HFNY), a program of BHSN in the North Country, during her heart-felt commencement speech.

One at a time, families filed into the event patio of Pizza Palace, a locally loved Plattsburgh eatery.

Balloons littered the floor in a sea of color, the smell of pizza filled the room, and a banner reading “Congratulations Graduates” draped down from the burgundy walls. Atop each family’s table laid a formal red graduation cap and gown ready to be donned – a reminder of how important this moment is.

Healthy Families New York gathered program participants from Clinton, Essex, and Warren counties to celebrate eight graduates during August 2026, including the first families to graduate from Warren and Essex Counties.

Healthy Families New York is a voluntary and free program of BHSN that provides personalized, in-home support to help parents build the strongest possible foundation for their child's well-being and their family's success.

The underlying philosophy behind HFNY is to help facilitate positive parent-child relationships, even before birth, as it is the key to healthy development. Enrolled families work closely with highly trained home visitors for up to 5 years. services are research-based and focus on creating a fun, interactive, and supportive experience. HFNY works with families to develop individualized family goal plans, connect them with community resources, and empower them with the skills necessary to navigate parenthood successfully.

"Our graduating families collectively completed 592 home visits -- that's a lot of answering the door," emphasized HFNY Program Supervisor Holly Kipp.

A family completes the program after the child enrolls in Head Start or a Pre-K program, has learned nurturing parenting techniques, and knows how to create and accomplish family goals. While not an exhaustive list, these are among some of the benchmarks of success in the program.

“[Healthy Families] is such a great support system. Anything we needed -- they were there for us. I couldn’t ask for better,” said Kelly Forshay, celebrating two of her children who have successfully completed the semester.

“Seeing my girls grow into the little ones they are today . . .” Forshay trails off as she reflects with a smile on her face, “. . . it’s amazing.”

HFNY is there for the big moments just as much as they are there for the small ones. They become a second family to the very families they serve.

“Our home visitor, Natalie was there when one of my daughters said her first words, and Natalie shared the excitement that I shared in that moment.”

Each graduate was celebrated with a certificate of completion and a photo to capture the moment.

After the ceremony, families were treated to a full meal of salad, pasta, pizza, and dessert to seal this memory of achievement in our youth participants’ minds.

“Learning how to better parent my children and have a better relationship with my children means the world to me,” concluded Forshay.

Through every milestone, goal met, and memory made, these individuals have truly become family to the BHSN team.