Healthy Families of the High Desert (HFHD) has been awarded a $13,500 grant from Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation to support the basic needs of families in Deschutes County. The funding will help families get baby birth certificates, pay fines, purchase hygiene items, car seats camping toilets and showers, baby proofing items and other related expenses needed to meet basic family needs.
“The idea is to reduce family stress by having some basic needs met so that families feel supported and engaged with their baby,” said Lori Colvin, regional program manager for Healthy Families of the High Desert.
HFHD is a voluntary home visiting program that assists families in giving their newborn children a healthy start in life. The program offers weekly intensive home visits for families that need and accept extra support, working with parents prenatally, or when the baby is first born, to promote positive parent/child relationships and enhance family functioning. When families enroll in the program, family support specialists meet weekly with parents, creating a non-threatening approach to increase the initial engagement of parents who may be skeptical of agencies and organizations.
According to Colvin, family participation in the HFHD program reduces risk of child abuse and neglect, improves parent relationships, strengthens social and emotional development and leads to children doing better in school.
“This grant will make a big impact on families in Deschutes County. Each family has unique needs and Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation is allowing us to be flexible with how we use this funding so we can use it where it’s needed most,” said Colvin.
Like many Native American cultures, the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians has a long-time-honored tradition of giving to their communities. In 1997 the Tribe formalized this tradition of philanthropy by establishing a grant making Foundation. The Foundation makes grants to nonprofit 501©3 organizations for the benefit of the public within Coos, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, and Lane counties.
“We’re excited to share some of the wonderful stories that come from this grant,” said Colvin.
About Healthy Families of the High Desert:
Healthy Families of the High Desert is a Healthy Families Oregon/Healthy Families America Program and program of the High Desert Education Service District. HFHD partners with Central Oregon families to create a safe and nurturing home environment; make informed parenting choices that contribute to excellent family health and wellness; learn activities to do with their baby to foster brain development and attachment’ prepare their child to be school ready; access community resources and educational opportunities; and identify and promote resilience/protective factors.
