The charge of MSHAC is to plan how to serve families with a substance use disorder better through a multiagency approach. Agenda topics for these meetings have included: Sharing resources and educational materials. Updates from local treatment providers. Coordination of services and referrals. Tips for using the DFS reporting hotline. Related state legislation. Walking through[…..]

The Town Hall for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC), held on Jan. 24 at Bally’s Dover Casino Resort, was a resounding success! We are thrilled to continue the important conversations around the expansion of IECMHC in Delaware. The event provided a deeper understanding of the Delaware Model, highlighting its approach to supporting[…..]

Connecting Delaware’s Community Health Workers and Family Support Specialists for a day of collaboration, learning, and networking. On Thursday, Jan. 23, a group of 75 Community Health Workers and Family Support Specialists with Delaware’s Home Visiting Program gathered for “Lets Thrive! A Home Visiting Workforce Symposium” at Bally’s Dover Casino Resort. Pregnant women and families[…..]

In January, the Home Visiting Community Advisory Board (HVCAB) held an in-person meeting, setting the stage for more in-person gatherings throughout 2025, with more details to come. The discussion focused on key priorities for Home Visiting Programs, including improving infrastructure, enhancing professional development, increasing family and community involvement, strengthening communication strategies, fostering collaboration, and integrating[…..]

Submitted by Asaiah Beaman Fisher In the field of home visiting, continuous learning is not just beneficial — it’s essential! Professional development empowers you to sharpen your skills, expand your knowledge, and stay ahead in an evolving landscape. Whether it’s learning new communication techniques, understanding child development on a deeper level, or discovering new resources[…..]

Help Me Grow was fortunate to receive a generous grant specifically designated for buying diapers. Thanks to this support, they were able to acquire nearly 300 cases of diapers and wipes — an incredible supply! As a phone-based service, Help Me Grow 2-1-1 faced the challenge of distributing these essential items swiftly to families in[…..]

Staff are becoming familiar with our new database, Visit Tracker, and are pleased with how easy it is to document visits and updates. Meanwhile, Parents as Teachers (PAT) New Castle County is working on the Quality Endorsement and Improvement Process (QEIP) with PAT National. We’re also excited to welcome two new educators! Katrina Johnson has[…..]

AJ and her daughter, Ah’Mari, have been enrolled in the Parents as Teachers program since October 2023. AJ inspires us daily with her resilience and determination to achieve her goals and overcome challenges in her path. AJ shared, “Ever since being part of Parents as Teachers, I’ve learned so many new things — not only[…..]

Delaware Early Childhood Center Parents as Teachers (DECC PAT) playgroups have had great attendance, with families coming from all over! Two more groups are scheduled this year, and weekend and evening events are planned for this spring and summer. Stay tuned to the DECC PAT Facebook page for details!

Parents as Teachers (PAT) and New Directions Early Head Start (NDEHS), our Champion of the Quarter nominees, have consistently stepped up to ensure that families are supported and their needs are met — and that program goals are achieved. Staff collaborate across programs and with community agencies to access resources and learn about topics ranging[…..]

The Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC), a newly developed initiative, is redefining Delaware’s support model for early childhood educators by removing barriers to advanced credentials like the CDA® certificate and college degrees. With a mission to create equitable, accessible pathways to professional growth and a vision for an inclusive system that uplifts educators and families,[…..]

Our Stay and Play groups in Harrington and Milford are going strong. We will share a new schedule on Facebook by early December. You can also request it by emailing us at christine.hoeflicholley@lf.k12.de.us. In late September, we hosted the Annual NDEHS Health Fair at DECC! This year featured the Food Bank’s mobile unit and on-site[…..]

Healthy Families Delaware at Children & Families First held its first graduation on October 24, 2024, at the Delaware Children’s Museum. Thirteen families completed this three-year program focused on parent-child interactions. Congratulations to our graduates!   Meghan Emmell and her son, Solomon, completed the program under Family Support Specialist (FSS), Lea. While raising Solomon, Meghan[…..]

Thrive Quarterly would like to highlight Family Support Specialist Juanita Hopkins with Healthy Families Delaware in Kent/Sussex county. Juanita is very passionate about serving her families, and flexible to meet their needs. She received a referral for a new family from a family she now serves and enrolled them on 8/1/24. During her first three[…..]

On Nov. 20, 2024, Social Contract hosted Gathering for Our Future: Transformative Talks in Early Education at Delaware State University, uniting stakeholders in Delaware’s early childhood education community to envision a stronger future for children, families, and educators. The event featured a keynote by Elizabeth Groginsky, Cabinet Secretary of New Mexico’s Early Childhood Education and[…..]

Maternity Care Coalition (MCC) helps pregnant women during incarceration and advocates for home visiting and support services after release through its MOMobile Program. Operating at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution (BWCI) and Hazel D. Plant Women’s Treatment Facility (HDP), MOMobile provides three key services and support. Doula services including perinatal education, advocacy, and birth support Parenting[…..]

Erin Troup from Sprout led a training for Delaware’s MIECHV Home Visiting Programs on Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH). She shared valuable strategies to support young children’s emotional well-being and social development, paving the way for statewide integration of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC). IECMHC empowers home visitors to address[…..]

New Directions Early Head Start prioritizes staff wellness and team bonding with monthly 30-minute virtual coffee breaks. These casual gatherings offer a refreshing space to discuss hobbies, books, movies, and more, fostering connections and a break from work-focused discussions. The positive impact of these sessions has been clear, with the management team fully supporting their[…..]

Since 2020, Lisbeth Rojas has been a passionate Health Coach and Community Health Worker with Quality Insights, contributing to impactful projects in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Her work spans maternal health, diabetes, cardiovascular care, cancer, Screening for Life, WISEWOMAN, COVID initiatives, lead poisoning prevention, immunizations, vaccine community engagement, and stroke prevention. With a global perspective gained[…..]

Marisol Martinez wears many hats at Delaware Early Childhood Center (DECC), serving as a parent educator with Parents as Teachers and a family service worker for the EHS First Start DE Childcare Partnership. Her dedication shines through in everything she does! Marisol is always ready to lend a helping hand, whether it’s assisting with translations,[…..]

Parents as Teachers (PAT) in New Castle County is transitioning and thriving, and we’re excited to welcome Andrea Collins White, principal of Stubbs EEC and a former NCC parent educator. Andrea’s deep connection to PAT and her experience make her a perfect fit to guide and support our program into the future. Quita Blackstock, our[…..]

Birth defects make it more difficult for your baby to be healthy and can put your baby at a higher risk of death during their first year. Thankfully, there are simple ways to lower your risk of these abnormalities.

The team will work with local implementing agencies (LIAs) on quality assurance, identifying and addressing missing demographic, service utilization, and performance data. The MIECHV team will also support LIAs with continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives. For PAT-NCC, this means improving visit frequency reporting; at PAT-Polytech, reducing no-show rates; and at PAT-DECC and CFF/HFA, focusing on[…..]

  Family Accomplishments: Paula Stratton, Parent Support Specialist During a visit, a parent asked when to change her baby’s car seat, mentioning that her baby was getting heavy in the infant carrier. I provided information on recommendations based on age and weight, and I gave her the Car Seats for Kids form. We set a[…..]

First-time mothers enroll in the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) program before 29 weeks of pregnancy and remain until their child turns two. A special NFP alumna, Robyn Lawrence, attended the June graduation with her daughter Kylee and grandmother. When asked, “What does NFP mean to me?” Robyn said, “Being a new mom with high blood[…..]