INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Healthy Families-IRC, a program of the Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition, is a voluntary program that works with both pregnant women and families of newborns.
The involvement in the program is free and lasts until the child is five years old. The goal is to prevent child abuse through education and coordinated support to promote positive parent/child interaction and bonding.
In a pursuit to learn all she can about the non-profit organization she is raising funds for, Michelle Kantzler joined Family Support Worker Carmen Duhig on her quarterly visit to the Manu family.
With 4 children in the Manu household, from age 18 down to 2 years old, they are pleased to be working with Healthy Families-IRC for the past two years since the birth of their youngest, Xander.
At birth, the agency visits with the family on a voluntary basis and establishes objectives with them based on their needs. Home visits are held for families anywhere from once a week to once a quarter based on how the family progresses over time and how the objectives are being met.
With an emphasis on education, this is one of five of the non-profit’s program which works hand-in-hand helping with early childhood brain development and bonding with the baby, helping the parents with self -sufficiency, basic care, breastfeeding assistance, birth control information, medical needs, and insurance assistance.
For further information about the Healthy Families-IRC program, please contact Toni McDaniel at (772) 778-1323.
For more information about Dancing with Vero’s Stars, please visit the website www.DancingWithVeroStars.com or call (772) 563-9118.