The Jined Ilo Kobo Healthy Start Program at the UAMS Office of Community Health and Research is proud to announce a new partnership with the Family Network to provide home visiting services for at-risk Marshallese families in Northwest Arkansas.
Family Network a home-based prenatal and parenting education program accredited by Healthy Families America, which is a national home-visiting model that promotes high standards for performance and a commitment to quality through its mission to promote child wellbeing and prevent the neglect and abuse of children.
The partnership between Jined Ilo Kobo and Family Network has allowed Family Network to hire a full-time Marshallese-speaking home visitor, who will provide home-visiting services to about 15 Marshallese families in Washington County.
“Jined Ilo Kobo will be able to refer Marshallese clients in need of home-visiting services to Family Network’s program,” said Betsy O’Connor, Assistant Director of Maternal Child Health Programs with the UAMS Office of Community Health and Research. “This partnership will allow the Jined Ilo Kobo Healthy Start program at UAMS Northwest and Family Network to provide much-needed resources to the community and will increase access to parenting education.”
Family Network provides services to pregnant women and families with newborn children until age 3, primarily through home-visiting. According to Family Network Executive Director Audrey Zavaleta, that could include providing curriculum to mothers on nutrition and healthy family relationships, providing resources and referrals to other community organizations and more. For more information about Family Network, visit familynetworknwa.com.