World-renowned expert sheds light on newborn ‘speak’ at Children’s Museum of Phoenix

PHOENIX, Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — J. Kevin Nugent, PhD. Founder and Director of the Brazelton Institute at Boston Children’s Hospital, a member of Harvard Medical School’s faculty, Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts and author of “Your Baby Is Speaking to You“–a visual guide to understanding the unique language of newborns, visits Children’s Museum of Phoenix today. His visit helped mark the introduction of Arizona’s newly aligned network of home visiting programs and services, Strong Families AZ, detailed at http://www.strongfamiliesaz.com. Dr. Nugent shared ideas much like a young family hears during a home visit.

“I am so impressed by the work that home visitors do in fostering the bond between parents and their babies,” says Dr. Nugent. “They are uniquely positioned to give new parents the support they need to give their children the best possible start in life.”

“A child’s first months of life are critical to establishing a strong parent-child connection. That foundation grows more important as the child gets older,” says Strong Families AZ Mary Ellen Cunningham, Bureau Chief at the Arizona Department of Health Services. “Our network partners are united in the belief that with support every child can fulfill their optimal potential.”

Starting this month, Arizona’s network of organizations that provide home visiting programs and services have united under the umbrella of Strong Families AZ, represented by one name and on one website. This move maximizes existing home visiting resources, establishing a single statewide resource for families to easily find information about home visiting.

Parenting can be overwhelming, especially for young families who may be facing a variety of economic, health, social and educational concerns; and that’s where home visiting programs can play a positive role. They may need extra support and one-on-one guidance to help them parent to the best of their ability, especially during challenging circumstances–unforeseen health needs of their child, unemployment or pressure from acclimating to being a parent for the first time.

Young families who participate in a home visiting program report that they feel more confident and hopeful in their family’s future. It has positively transformed many families over the years and there is evidence that home visiting:

• reduces social costs including healthcare costs and costs associated with public assistance and incarceration
• reduces the number of low birth weight babies
• increases the likelihood of graduations from high school for children receiving home visits.

“Your Baby is Speaking To You” is rooted in research that a child’s experience in the first months of life impact their entire lifespan. Learn more about home visiting programs and services by visiting www.strongfamiliesaz.com.

SOURCE Strong Families AZ