Healthy Families America (HFA) is a family support program that embodies an infant mental health approach, with the belief that early, nurturing relationships are the foundation for life-long, healthy development. The signature program of Prevent Child Abuse America, HFA is one of the leading family support and home-visiting programs in the country. Currently HFA has a presence in 38 states and serves nearly 100,000 families annually with services that are proven to improve family self-sufficiency, improve early-learning in children, and reduce child maltreatment.
What does Healthy Families America do? It works.
Launched in 1992, HFA is a nationally recognized, evidence-based home visiting model designed to work with overburdened families who are at-risk for adverse childhood experiences, including child maltreatment. In February 2011, the United States Department of Health and Human Services designated HFA as a proven home visiting model. This distinction came after a thorough and transparent review of the home visiting research literature that considered more than 250 home visiting models.
Our Evidence
HFA evaluation results from more than 20 states, including 9 randomized control trials, demonstrate positive outcomes in all six domains required by the federal Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. For example, our studies show improvements in:
- Child safety (reduced child abuse and neglect);
- Child health, including increased birth weight;
- Parent-child interaction;
- School readiness and adjustment in 1st grade;
- Family self-sufficiency; and,
- Coordination of services and referrals.
You can also learn more about the rigorous evidence base for Healthy Families America and see a listing of reports and publications about HFA.
Our Impact
HFA has demonstrated an impact at every level of the social ecology, showing positive benefits for not only children and families but for communities as well. Learn more about how HFA impacts each of the groups by visiting the pages linked below.
Want to know more about Healthy Families America? Visit their website or check out the program’s most recent Annual Report.
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