Children's Home Society of Florida receives $3.5 million for in-home Early Head Start
Release date: 2/22/2010
WINTER PARK, Fla., Feb. 22, 2010—Children's Home Society of Florida received a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide in-home Early Head Start services to low-income children and families in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
The only program of its kind in the tri-county area, this home-based Early Head Start provides comprehensive health, educational, nutritional, social and emotional support services to 140 children ages 0 to 3.
Though the in-home program targets children in foster care and those at risk of entering the dependency system, it also serves children with disabilities and those at risk of poor childhood outcomes.
“Offering this service to families in their own homes plays a crucial role in preparing children for smooth transitions into early learning centers and, ultimately, for success in school,” says Tara Hormell, Executive Director of Children's Home Society of Florida. “As we strengthen the relationship between parents and their children, we’re able to more effectively work to meet children’s medical, social and developmental needs.”
Pregnant women may begin receiving Early Head Start services during the last month of their pregnancy through volunteer doulas who provide mentoring, support and guidance until the infants are enrolled in the program. To meet service demands, Children's Home Society of Florida is recruiting volunteers to serve as doulas; those interested should contact Children's Home Society of Florida for training information.
Early Head Start also offers support meetings for fathers and group socializations; Children's Home Society of Florida is also recruiting volunteers to assist in socialization settings.
Slated to begin services in May, Early Head Start uses Partners for a Healthy Baby curriculum developed by Florida State University. In addition to providing a critical service, the program brings 25 new jobs to Central Florida.
About Children’s Home Society of Florida
Created in 1902, Children's Home Society of Florida is the oldest and largest statewide private not-for-profit provider of services to children and families in Florida. Its 14 divisions serve an average 100,000 children and families each year through a full spectrum of prevention and intervention programs. Services include foster care, adoption, child development, emergency shelters, residential group homes, independent and transitional living for teens, parent education, counseling, mentoring, treatment for developmentally disabled children, and more. Children's Home Society of Florida is headquartered in Winter Park, Fla., and offers services in more than 100 locations by more than 1,900 staff members dedicated to providing child-focused, family-centered care.