Healthy Families Garrett County Program Accredited as Provider of High-Quality Home Visiting Services

Healthy Families Garrett County, a home visitation program of the Garrett County Health Department since 1998, recently earned a Certificate of Accreditation from Prevent Child Abuse America to serve families. This accreditation is valid through March 2023.

“We are very proud of the partnership the Health Department has with the Garrett County Local Management Board to provide the Healthy Families program,” said Garrett County Health Officer Bob Stephens.  “Our staff has assisted hundreds of families over the past twenty years in giving their children the skills and resources needed to be successful.”

Through the accreditation process, Healthy Families Garrett County (HFGC) demonstrated fidelity to the Healthy Families America model and its Best Practice Standards. The accreditation process uses a stringent set of 12 critical elements grounded in more than 30 years of research. It involves an in-depth examination of the site’s personnel, fiscal, and program management, as well as the quality of the visits made by HFGC home visitors. This process combines a comprehensive site self-assessment and an on-site review conducted by trained peer reviewers.

HFGC is a program of the Local Management Board housed within the Early Care System of Care at the Garrett County Health Department. The program initiates home visiting services with expecting parents and families that reside in Garrett County either prenatally or under 3-months of age and continues up to age 5. This free voluntary home visiting program is designed to empower parents to give their child the best beginning in life.

“The most important stages of learning in a child’s life take place from birth to three and babies do not come with an instruction manual,” said Maria Friend, Early Care Program Director. “Parents are the strongest influence in their child’s life, and parenting comes with a lot of questions. The program provides support to ensure babies are born healthy and children enter school ready to learn!”

HFGC home visitors provide individualized education to families on a variety of health, nutrition, development, safety, and self-sufficiency topics to meet the needs of the family. Program services also include screenings and referrals.

“The American Dream starts with a happy, healthy childhood,” said Dan Duffy, President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America.  “As parents, we all have questions from time to time.  Our Healthy Families America professionals offer evidence-based best practices to provide answers to questions, individualized support when needed most and linkages to community services.  As we congratulate Garrett County Healthy Families, we also recognize the state and community leadership that has contributed to this success.”

“We commend HFGC for opening itself up to such an intensive review process,” said Kathleen Strader, National Director of Healthy Families America. “We believe that all families and all communities deserve access to quality home visiting services.”  

For more information about HFGC call their office at 301-334-7720 or 301-895-3111 Ext. 7720.

Cutline: Pictured above are Early Care Program staff after a weekly staff meeting. Shown seated, from left to right, are Bonnie Paugh, Caroline Shiflett, Maria Friend, and Alisha Martin. Standing, same order, are Debra House, Morgan Sanders, Theresa Cavalier, Marilyn Kight, Tonya Beckman, Michelle Ford, Erin Marsh, Marcia Ashby, Jessica Cummings, Natasha Coddington, Katie Welch, Karen Matthews, Jennifer VanPelt, Bonnie Tichnell, and Karen Keefer. Not present for the picture were Joanne Roberts, Lacy Coffren.

By Diane Lee, Public Information Officer, Garrett County Health Department