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FORMAL CLOSING OF THE PILOT
PROJECT OF THE HEALTHY START PROGRAM |
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The Healthy
Start Program (HSP) was launched by CFSPI in September 2004
as a pilot project in barangays San Vicente, Poliwes and
Balsigan in Baguio City, Philippines. Healthy Start is an
early childhood development and parenting program designed
to improve family coping skills and functioning, promote
positive nurturing parenting skills and parent-child
relationships, promote optimal child care and development,
and as a result, prevent child abuse and neglect among
impoverished families. It supports the child's development
by supporting their families and communities. |
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HSP is
a voluntary program offered to parents prenatally or shortly
after the birth of their child. Parents are grouped with
their neighbors who have children within a 3-month age range
to participate in weekly parenting and child development
sessions. During these meetings, parents learn new
information about early brain development, child health and
safety, nurturing child care practices, and simple learning
activities to enjoy with their children. Interaction with
families is guided by the Growing Great Kids (GGK)
Curriculum. An accompanying set of modules called Growing
Great Families focuses on enhancing individual and family
functioning. It emphasizes the benefits of connecting
families to each other and to the community, and the
critical need to develop empathy in parents and children.
Community-based workers called Family Support Workers were
extensively trained on Children's Health and Development and
the use of the GGK modules so they would have them the
capacity to work with families and children over a three
year span. The role of the Family Support Workers is to
reach out to the target families through home visits and
group sessions. Since no individual program or service is
enough to support families and all of their needs, enrolled
families are referred to and are encouraged to utilize
community resources such as primary health care services,
day care services and to participate in livelihood/skills
building projects when available in their community. The
family support workers also help to regularly monitor the
children's health and development.
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CFSPI
and the Family Support Workers diligently worked with
families enrolled in the HSP in December 2004. A total of 78
families completed the program and were given recognition
for their active involvement, valued support and
participation.
On September 27, 2008, the formal closing of the HSP pilot
project took place at the CFSPI Manzanillo Subdivision
office. It was attended by Mr. Danny Urquico, President and
CEO of CFSPI, Mrs. Bernadette Ymson, Project Manager, Ms.
Abigail Belza, HSP Consultant, and the rest of the program
staff. Some barangay council members also attended, Mr.
Michael Medina, Mrs. Elena Bayo and Mr. Labiano (barangay
kagawads from San Vicente), Mr. Joseph Del-ong (Poliwes
Barangay Captain), and the Secretary of Barangay Poliwes.
The event would not have been complete without the families
who were consistently active in the program and in helping
their community and their families reduce and prevent the
incidence of abuse and juvenile offenses, promote child
safety and preserve families.
One of
the highlights of the program was the graduation of the last
batch of the youngest partner babies who were enrolled in
the program.
The program
was made more meaningful by the presentations of the partner
children and parents.
A photo-show
was presented, giving the families, staff, and other guests
an opportunity to recollect all of the activities of the HSP
over the last four years. Recognition was also given to the
Family Support Worker's for their lasting support in the
Healthy Start Program. Finally the program ended with a
fellowship, shared by the families and the staff before a
final farewell to each other.
CFSPI aims to expand the program to other communities in the
Philippines with the aim of assisting more parents,
particularly teen-age parents to become loving, nurturing,
competent parents, and to maximize the physical,
intellectual, emotional, and social development of their
children.
For more information about the Healthy Start Program, or any
of our other programs, please contact Mrs. Bernadette Ymson
at badette_ym@yahoo.com
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| Child and Family Service Philippines. All Rights Reserved 2006. |
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