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First Lady Chirlane McCray Visits Brightpoint to Announce Largest Citywide Home Visiting Services Program for All First-Time Parents
New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray visited our Church Avenue site on Wednesday to announce New Family Home Visits, a program that will offer home visiting services to all first-time parents in New York City.
Once the program is launched, families will be matched with services that best fit their needs and offered up to six home visits. The program will be the largest city home visiting program in the nation.
“All parents in our city should have the support they need at the start of their most important journey, and we are taking an exciting new step to make that happen,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “Home visits are proven to strengthen bonds between parents and their babies, lower the risk for maternal anxiety and depression, and support healthy brain development during a crucial time. We have made it our mission to support New York City’s working families, and we are grateful to our coalition of partners who will help us get this done.”
The first lady was introduced by Jim Sinkoff, Deputy Executive Officer of HRHCare, and by Cheryl Hall, Executive Director of the Caribbean Women’s Health Association, an affiliate of HRHCare.
“This program, and our partnership, represent the future of what healthcare should be: high-risk patients receiving health and social support services in a community provider setting that treats the person as a whole,” said Hall.
“New Family Home Visits will benefit parents and babies across New York City,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “As a pediatrician and the City’s doctor, I know this program will offer services to parents that will help them to develop strong emotional bonds with their children, as well as provide their babies with the support to flourish and live healthy lives.”
“As a former official in the Obama Administration, I had the great honor to help implement provisions of the Affordable Care Act that expanded home visiting programs on a national level. I am honored to be part of the New Family Home Visits initiative, which will put New York City at the forefront by making home visiting universal,” said Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner David A. Hansell. “We are delighted to partner with DOHMH to improve the well-being of the youngest New Yorkers, and to carry out First Lady Chirlane McCray and Mayor de Blasio’s commitment to promoting healthy childhood development, while providing wraparound support to families.”
The city will invest $43M a year by 2024 and beyond, aiming to reach 45,000 families across the city when fully implemented. The program will launch this spring in Brooklyn and will reach all Brooklyn families with their first baby by 2021. The program will build upon investments in social-emotional learning to build resilience and coping skills in young children as well as baby showers for healthy emotional development.
Also: check out this article about the New Family Home Visits program in the New York Times.
