Youth Alternatives Awarded a Healthy Families Partnership Grant by DHS

PORTLAND - Youth Alternatives, Inc. has announced that it will continue its partnership with the Maine Department of Human Services, Bureau of Health to provide home visiting services and parenting education to families throughout Cumberland County.

The Bureau of Health has awarded YA more than $2 million through a three-year contract to provide services aimed at preparation and prevention. The services will be provided in collaboration with YA's Healthy Families Program, the City of Portland's Maternal and Child Health Program and the YWCA of Greater Portland to first-time parents, including pregnant and parenting teens.

The Healthy Families program helps prepare first-time parents to promote positive childhood outcomes and prevent child abuse and neglect. Home visitors to new parents provide support, parenting education and referral to services. These services are available to all first-time parents regardless of their income. Through collaboration with other local agencies, pregnant women and newborns are identified and enrolled in the program. Once a family is enrolled, services may continue until the child is in kindergarten.

"Home visiting services provide a critical service to first-time parents throughout Cumberland County," said Michael J. Tarpinian, YA's President. "W e are pleased to have been chosen to lead these important programs, and look forward to improving and expanding the program over the next three years."

Youth Alternatives is a nationally accredited provider of services to children, youth and families. Founded in 1972, Youth Alternatives provides a full continuum of care to families, ranging from child abuse and neglect prevention to intensive intervention. In addition, the organization collaborates statewide in meeting the needs of Maine's vulnerable populations. With administrative offices in Portland, Youth Alternatives is found on the World Wide Web at WWW.YOUTHALTERNATIVES.ORG.

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