Support Program for Mothers of Young Children Offered at Project Self-Sufficiency

Pregnant women and mothers of newborns are invited to receive free parenting tips, baby items, information about childhood health, and more from Project Self-Sufficiency’s Healthy Families program.  The program combines home visits by certified professionals with educational outings for mother and child to help parents boost literacy levels and address health issues within their new family.  Women who are pregnant or parenting infants, as well as those with children up to the age of three are eligible. 

The agency’s Healthy Families program uses the Parents as Teachers curriculum, which was created to help prepare children for kindergarten and to address developmental delays that might otherwise have been overlooked until the child entered school.  “Meeting with parents and their young children in the comfort of their own home allows us to be more effective as educators, because we can introduce and implement basic literacy tools immediately.  Children and parents are more relaxed in a home environment, so learning together becomes a fun activity that can be shared,” noted Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. 

Feeling isolated and overwhelmed are common issues with mothers of young children in Sussex County.  The Healthy Families program gives mothers have the opportunity to meet regularly with other women in similar circumstances by attending monthly Mommy Parties held at Project Self-Sufficiency.  Participants receive valuable information about household safety, parenting, health and wellness, and other topics while enjoying lunch and engaging in craft projects with their children.  While on site, mothers can also take advantage of the other programs and services available to families at the agency.  Transportation to the monthly gatherings is available to women in need.

The Healthy Families program at Project Self-Sufficiency is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Children & Families.  Project Self-Sufficiency is a private non-profit community-based organization dedicated to improving the lives of low-income families residing in northwestern New Jersey.  The agency’s mission is to provide a broad spectrum of holistic, respectful, and comprehensive services enabling low-income single parents, teen parents, two-parent families, and displaced homemakers to improve their lives and the lives of their children through the achievement of personal and economic self-sufficiency and family stability.  Since 1986 Project Self-Sufficiency has served more than 19,500 families, including over 30,000 children. 

To enroll in the Healthy Families program, or to find out more about the other programs and services available to families at Project Self-Sufficiency, call 973-940-3500.