Meet a Virginia Program

The Families First team

Celebrating the Strength of Families 

In the auditorium of the Beulah Recreation Center in Chesterfield County in early December, a Little Tikes coupe zipped around the tile floors with a flock of kids trailing behind. The young racers took turns in the driver’s seat as they cheerfully pedaled around tables full of local families and volunteers.  

At the Families First home visiting program’s annual holiday party, there was noticeable excitement in the air. Plates were piled high with lunch— the mozzarella sticks were the clear favorite—as the emcees called out ticket numbers and invited children up to choose a gift to take home. Among the toy cupcake sets, cars and houses, the kids had some hard decisions. 

Among the Christmas trees and festive tablescapes, families mixed and mingled and enjoyed themselves. This party is an annual celebration of success and strength—attributes Families First sees every day in local families. 

Families First is one of the more than 70 home visiting programs across Virginia that support expectant parents and families with young children.  

The voluntary program connects Chesterfield County and Colonial Heights parents like Kristina with trained family support specialists who come into homes to teach parenting best practices. 

“It worked for me,” Kristina said. “Having somebody come into your house that you can get to know and trust —that’s the major thing.” 

When Kristina moved to Chesterfield County a few years ago, she enrolled in Families First to support her two-year-old son Charles. She quickly formed a relationship with her home visitor Martha, who helped her understand important developmental milestones and parenting best practices. 

Together Martha and Kristina saw an opportunity to start Charles in speech therapy. Within six weeks, the train and construction-loving child was pronouncing “excavator” thanks to the coaching and techniques.  

“She brought an outside perspective, and that’s what you need sometimes,” Kristina said.  

The Families First program is invaluable, according to Kristina. In addition to her partnership with Martha, she sees the activities to connect with other parents on field trips to the children’s museum or library as important tools that disrupt the isolation that can come with parenting.  

Charles was recently accepted into the Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy, an initiative that helps prepare students for kindergarten. While the achievement means he’s graduating from Families First, Kristina remains connected to the organization by serving on the Parent Advisory Committee, a role through which she can help guide the organization’s programming. She wants to help ensure more families know about Families First. 

PARENTING IS TOUGH, HOME VISITORS PROVIDE IMPORTANT SUPPORT 

Like its home visiting peer organizations across Virginia, Families First is voluntary for participants. Parents enroll because they’re looking for guidance, support, and best practices.  

Ami, the Family Resource Specialist with Families First, manages intake and is the first person a parent speaks to at the organization. 

“People want to be good parents,” Ami said. “Sometimes they need support to do that and that’s what we’re here for.”  

During that first conversation, Ami focuses on listening and brings empathy to the conversations.  

“People want to be heard,” Ami said. “I listen to their stories without judgment.”  

A recent survey of home visitors and families engaged in programming by Early Impact Virginia, the organization that represents home visiting programs in the commonwealth, provides a snapshot of the challenges modern families are facing.  

Close to 90% of home visitation workers agreed that the top three increasing needs among families are housing stability, anxiety/depression and substance use. In open-ended responses by home visitors, affordable housing was cited as the No. 1 need for Virginia families.   

But responses from families show the impact of home visiting: Parent participants reported that with home visitation their lives have gotten “better/much better” over the past two years when it comes to safe and affordable housing access as well as with their connections to transportation and healthy, nutritious foods.  

With more than a decade at Families First, Ami gets the opportunity to see the progress families make together. During the organization’s summer graduations, an annual event where participants celebrate their accomplishments as they move on from the program, she cheers on parents and kids.  

“You see them grow and change as parents and people,” Ami said. “That really makes it worth the hard parts of the job. It’s amazing to see.” 

HOME VISITING WORKS 

Valeska is one of the seven team members on the Families First team. Her office is brimming with children’s books and activities she takes with her on home visits.  

She shows off a simple face pattern on a paper plate that will be used to help the development of a baby’s visual tracking and focusing. Valeska will bring it to an upcoming home visit with an 18-year-old mom she is working alongside. 

“You don’t need to buy expensive toys,” Valeska explained. 

Valeska started as a home visitor earlier this year. After working in public health and as a lactation consultant, she often referred parents to Families First. Seeing the benefits of the program she was inspired to become a home visitor herself.  

National and state studies show that home visiting programs like Families First are one of the most effective tools for improving maternal and child health, bolstering school readiness and strengthening families.  

“When we come into a family’s home, our job is not to be the expert in their parenting – the families are the experts,” said Ashley, Families First Program Coordinator. “We’re here to support them in their choices and offer other opportunities and skills to help them build their ability to parent their child in the way they see best. It’s really powerful for a family.” 

Families First serves approximately 80 children at a time through two evidence-based models known as Healthy Families and Parents as Teachers.  

The organization’s home visitors are committed to meeting families where they are as they work on goals together.  

“Home visiting is so important because the trajectory of health and wellness starts before birth,” Ashley said. “There’s so much value and strength when that early support is received.”  

ONE FAMILY AT A TIME 

Martha’s passion for home visiting is evident even as she serves as the holiday party emcee. She cheerfully calls out numbers and announcements in English and Spanish, encouraging families to come up and select gifts. Many of her home visiting families are in the crowd as kids stop by for hugs from “Ms. Martha.”  

“We help them build resilience,” Martha said. “We connect families to resources, and we decrease stress.” 

Martha knows that when parents lack essentials like food, housing or transportation, it can impact parent-child relationships. She focuses on removing barriers and connecting parents to the resources they need to thrive.  

When Martha first moved to the U.S. with her husband, she struggled to find community resources and experienced culture shock. Today, she brings those learnings and her expertise in early childhood development to help families overcome challenges and feel more confident.  

Like her home visiting peers across Virginia, Martha shares a passion for working with kids and supporting families. She loves to see the growth of families and often hears back from parents on their successes. It’s feedback she never tires of hearing.  

“Making the difference in one family at a time makes a huge impact in our community,” Martha said. “Those children are the future of our country.”