Project Self-Sufficiency receives accreditation

Newton — Healthy Families America, an affiliate of Prevent Child Abuse America, recently granted accreditation to Project Self-Sufficiency for the agency’s home visitation program. This accreditation underscores the high quality of the home visitation services, which are targeted to low-income families who are pre-natal or who are parenting a child under the age of three. The stringent accreditation process takes about a year to complete and requires that the agency meet or exceed 12 different critical standards, including corporate operating procedures and the quality of the visits made to each participating family. Once a family elects to participate in the home visitation program, they will receive visits approximately once a week, depending on the age and health of their children. Typical visits from an agency counselor usually last about an hour and include a discussion about topics such as health, nutrition and developmental milestones. Home visitors receive extensive training in a wide range of potential issues for new parents, including caring for a crying baby, proper nutrition, healthy child development, and stress management. Home visitors rely on the Nurturing Parents and the Parents as Teachers curricula in providing assistance to participating families. “Families who participate in the home visitation program are also able to take advantage of the other services we provide, from parenting skills workshops to computer training to our family literacy program,” said Claire Willetts, program coordinator at Project Self-Sufficiency. Approximately 50 families are currently being served by the home visitation program. Families are referred to the program by a variety of local medical and social service agencies. Interested participants are also encouraged to contact the agency to determine their eligibility for the program. For more information call 973-940-3500.