Prevention & Self-Sufficiency Services 

Healthy Families America (HFA) is one of the leading family support and evidence-based home visiting programs in the United States. We believe early, nurturing relationships are the foundation for healthy development. Our approach is relationship-based, culturally respectful, family-centered, and grounded in the parallel process: the relationships we build with parents and families serve as a model for the supporting, positive relationships we help them cultivate with their children.

How HFA Works

Family Connections

Once a family becomes interested in receiving services, HFA staff will reach out to learn more about their current needs, and also explore their strengths. At HFA, it’s all about relationships, and the first job of staff is to build a strong connection with the families being served.

Voluntary Enrollment

After learning more about each family’s unique situation, HFA staff will recommend services for families based on their needs—from home visiting to additional community connections. Regardless of the recommendations our staff offer, HFA is always voluntary.

Home Visiting

Should home visiting services be recommended, HFA staff will work with families long-term. Most families are offered services for a minimum of three years, and are visited weekly at the start. Services are culturally respectful, and home visitors are chosen on the basis of their ability to establish trusting relationships with participating families.

For more information, reach out to our team today at 757-926-6009

Parents as Teachers is an evidence-based parent education and family engagement model that builds strong communities, thriving families and children who are healthy, safe, learning and ready for school. As an affiliate of Parents as Teachers, our team provides an array of services such as personal visits to families and group connections focused on parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting, and family well-being. Supporting families from prenatal through kindergarten, they also connect families to resources and help them overcome any barriers to accessing those resources. 

For more information, reach out to our team today at 757-926-6009

The Youth Services program engages young people in positive youth development opportunities to include life and social skills training, civic engagement, and leadership development. Offering young persons and their families’ opportunities to be connected to services of interest and to increase youth developmental assets and decrease youth risk factors that are presenting challenges for optimal youth functioning at home, in school and in the community to include the provision of intensive case management and connection to community based wrap around services via the Teamwork Options and Pathways to Success Program (TOP).

Voluntary and court mandated community based parenting education services to support optimal parenting practices, child development, and to prevent child abuse and neglect.  Services are available to the public at no cost.  In collaboration with Youth Services, staff also plans and implements Community Outreach and Engagement strategies to educate and connect residents to information resources, and empowers residents to make decisions to improve their neighborhood.

The program administers the state's Welfare to Work program known as VIEW (Virginia's Initiative for Education and Work) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Employment and Training (SNAP E&T). VIEW promotes employment and provides work support to recipients of TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), a cash benefits program for eligible families. TANF recipients not meeting an exemption are required to engage in work activities in order to maintain benefits. Federal regulations mandate a five year maximum lifetime receipt of TANF benefits. In Virginia, a family may receive TANF benefits for a period of 24 months, followed by a 24 month period of ineligibility, until reaching the five year maximum.  

Virginia Cooperative Extension is your local connection to Virginia Tech and Virginia State Universities, providing outreach through research-based education. Our free programs assist Newport News citizens in increasing their financial health in our youth & adult financial literacy classes, their physical health in our youth & adult nutrition programs (SNAP and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) programs included), protecting environment health in our agriculture and horticulture programs, while advocating for positive youth development in our 4-H youth program. We offer hands-on volunteer opportunities in all these program areas so citizens can invest in their community. We also partner with other local agencies to ensure our educational component fits and meets your needs.