
Family Centered Home Visitation Program 1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 700
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-567-8001 x3006
mfrontera@healthfederation.org
http://www.healthfederation.org
Project Director
Maria C. Frontera, MSW, LSW
Project Evaluator
Marilee Comfort, PhD, MPH
Sponsoring Organization
The Health Federation of Philadelphia
The goal of the Family Centered Home Visitation Program is to prevent abandonment and out-of-home placement of children affected by HIV/AIDS by strengthening families’ abilities to provide safety, permanency, and a context for healthy development, even under extreme circumstances. (In the event of family separation, efforts will be made to strengthen parental abilities and reunify the family.)
The program plans to serve 200 low-income families infected/affected by HIV/AIDS in North Philadelphia, specifically: infants and toddlers (0-3) infected/affected by HIV/AIDS, pregnant and parenting women (age 13 and older) who are HIV positive, and other family members and caregivers. The program provides a full range of culturally competent and accessible services including: child development and parenting support; mental health (individual, family, and group) intervention; health/nutrition monitoring, education and referrals; and education, legal, and social services. Services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team, using a home-based model, in collaboration with a consortium of community-based organizations. Cross-systems training is offered and utilized to test and promote innovative service strategies. A rigorous evaluation will provide data for documenting the efficacy of the Family Centered Home Visitation Program, and will serve as a vehicle (along with training curricula and other products) for disseminating “lessons learned” throughout Philadelphia and to other localities. |