Healthy Families in Queen Anne's County follows the Healthy Families America (HFA) model. HFA is the signature program of Prevent Child Abuse America. HFA is designed for parents confronting challenges such as low income, childhood history of abuse, domestic violence, mental health issues, and addictions. Many of these conditions are known to the currently or formerly incarcerated parents. 

Based on findings from the 2016 needs assessment, Queen Anne's County Local Management Board chose to build upon the existing home visiting model of Health Families and use the framework to serve at least 30 families with the following eligibility criteria: 1) children ages 0-5 with parents who are currently or were formerly incarcerated.

Healthy Families professionals coordinate with existing early childhood services such as the Family Support Center, Headstart, the Judy Center, and the Health Department to leverage as many resources as are needed by first time parents. Home visiting is a key component to Healthy Families and this allows the home visiting nurse to effectively assess needs, support optimal childhood development and mobilize outside resources.  Healthy Families is currently the only home visiting program in the county for young families.

• Queen Anne’s County Department of Social Services-Assist with planning, implementation, monitoring and providing services to the two populations.
• St. Paul’s Parish-Assist Haven Ministries Resource Center in effort to provide skills and classes such as relationship building, resume writing, goal setting and interview coaching for both populations
• Queen Anne’s County Local Management Board-Provide program oversight and monitoring; Continue support of the Strategic Planning Committee; Ensure the collective impact approach to opportunity youth; Provide Local Care Team coordination
• Queen Anne’s County Local Care Team-Serve as conduit to connect eligible youth, parents, and families to strategies
• The Judy Center Partnership-The Judy Center supports young children in Queen Anne’s County. Participate in planning and the implementation process, continuing to allocate staff or other resources, continuing to contribute materials of instructions, and continuing to provide referrals for services for families.
• Queen Anne’s County Division of Housing-Provide housing counseling for both populations who may be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Refer appropriate individuals to initiatives. Would like to work with former opportunity youth interested in purchasing first house.
• Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board-Involvement in community assessments by LMB. Employment, training and education for disconnected youth who are eligible and interested in pursuing services through Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Services originate at American Job Center.
• American Job Center: Upper Shore Network-American Job Center provides collaborative and integrated workforce development, adult education, labor exchange and job development services that target the two population areas. The program provides: assessment and testing, assistance with obtaining basic education and high school diplomas, work-based learning programs and potential placement into employment.
• Queen Anne’s County Juvenile Services-Refer youth and parents as needed to QAC Initiatives that might be beneficial; Serve on the Local Care Team
• Chesapeake College/The Chesapeake Child Care Resource Center/Chesapeake Helps!-Serve as conduit to refer eligible youth, parents and families to strategies; Serve as transportation broker  to connect strategy recipients to viable transportation options; Provide improved data collection and monitoring (locating opportunity youth and children of currently/formerly incarcerated parents. Market the program to target populations and encourage referrals to initiative programs. Additionally, space can be provided for meetings or training events.
• Queen Anne’s County Department of Human Resources-Mentor targeted populations in resume writing and interview skills, thus instilling self-confidence and poise needed to successfully interview.
• Corsica River Mental Health Services-Serve as a behavioral health referral to identified children/parents affected by incarceration; resource sharing.
• Bayside H.O.Y.A.S., Inc.-Provide Opportunity Youth with educational enrichment, mentoring, leadership training, health promotion and public service projects.
• Haven Ministries-Provide target populations with homeless shelter, food pantry, thrift store, resource center and street outreach program. Additionally, will participate in Transportation Committees with Chesapeake Helps!. Will make referrals to appropriate programs.,
• Queen Anne’s County Economic & Tourism Development-Assist in promoting Opportunity Youth Initiative to the public and business community.

Targeted population are Opportunity Youth pre/postnatal and have children under the age of five. Additionally, families with children under the age of five that are affected by a loved one's incarceration.

• Proposed Result 1 - Communities are Safe for Children, Youth and Families

  Healthy Families in Queen Anne's County follows the Healthy Families America (HFA) model. HFA is the signature program of Prevent Child Abuse America.

  • Child Maltreatment - for FY18, the Queen Anne's County Healthy Families program had 100% of enrolled families (63 families served) without a child abuse or neglect finding.
• Proposed Result 2 - Children Will Complete School

  High on the list of sub-strategies is encouraging parents to complete their GED, attend vocational training or college, and/or find viable employment.

  • Educational Attainment - the percentage of young adults ages 18-24 who have not earned a high school or equivalency diploma - for FY18 42 out of 52 participant parents (or 81%) enrolled in school/vocational training or became employed (and who were not in school/vocational training or employed) within 6 months to 1 year of Healthy Families enrollment.