Healthy Families – Families First of Palm Beach County

Healthy Families Florida™

Healthy Families Florida is a nationally accredited family support and coaching program that helps parents provide the safe and stable environments children need for healthy growth and development. The program improves childhood outcomes and increases family self-sufficiency by empowering parents through education and community support.

Parents voluntarily participate in services provided in their homes so they can learn how to recognize and respond to their babies’ changing developmental needs, use positive discipline techniques, cope with the day-to-day stress of parenting in healthy ways, and set and achieve short- and long-term goals. Specially-trained support workers help them improve their parenting skills and achieve goals that increase family stability and self-sufficiency.

Costs Savings

AN EFFECTIVE AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE SOLUTION

Child abuse and neglect has costly short and long-term consequences including hospitalization, child welfare services, special education and juvenile delinquency. Conservative estimates put the cost of treating these consequences at $105,131 per child annually. Healthy Families Florida is proven to prevent child abuse and neglect in high-risk families at a cost of only $2,100 per child annually.

Our Results

Project Outcomes

In 2022, Families First served 455 families consisting of 843 children and 654 adults.

99% of these children were free from abuse and neglect while in the program and 100% were free from abuse and neglect post service one-year follow-up.

Cost Savings: Up to $105,131 for every child remaining with families and out of the Child Welfare System. Healthy Families prevents abuse at an average cost of $2,100 per child annually.

This program was reaccredited with the Council on Accreditation in 2020.