Cincinnati – Every Child Succeeds has served more than 12,000 local families since its inception, guiding at-risk, first-time parents through every milestone of their babies’ development. In February, ECS reached an important milestone of its own when the organization reached the 250,000th mark for home visits.
Home visitation is the centerpiece of ECS, which partners with 16 local hospitals, health departments and agencies to serve families throughout Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Home visits take place from the time of pregnancy until the child turns three, and are designed to ensure an optimal start for children both physically and emotionally.
“Home visitors include nurses, social workers and child development specialists who emphasize child safety, health care and early intervention as a means to prevent medical and developmental problems later on,” says Judy VanGinkel, PhD, president of ECS. “Achieving the 250,000 mark is a testament to the long-term, consistent relationships that our home visitors build over time with at-risk parents and children in the community, many of whom lack the financial, family and educational support needed to thrive.”
Founded in 1999, ECS is a voluntary program serving first-time parents who are young, low-income, single and / or receiving inadequate prenatal care, factors that tend to put their children at higher risk for delayed development, abuse and neglect, and poor academic achievement, VanGinkel says. The average age of mothers at enrollment is 20 years old, with about one-third under the age of 19.
Local teen Ronna Watson smiles when asked how Every Child Succeeds has made a difference in her life. “I would have been completely lost without it!” she says, as her two-year-old son, Jayden, chases a bouncing rubber ball across the room. “When I got pregnant, I was only 15. I wanted to take responsibility for Jayden, and I wanted to be a good mother. But I had no idea how to go about it.”
Every Child Succeeds matched Ronna with Jenny Berndsen, a home visitor employed by Family Services, which contracts with ECS to provide home visits. Jenny has been meeting with Ronna weekly since Ronna was 8 months pregnant, sharing information with her about baby care, helping her create a positive home environment for learning and emotional growth, and encouraging her to finish high school.
“No one in my family was there for me, so I really felt alone at first,” explains Ronna, who now lives with Jayden in an apartment in College Hill. “Jenny has taught me about the importance of reading to Jayden and about which games are good for his development and even how to get Jayden evaluated for his speech delays. She has helped me become a good mother and be more confident in myself.”
In June, Ronna will graduate from North College Hill High School, where she recently made honor roll. She plans to attend Cincinnati State and eventually become a social worker to help children who have experienced abuse and neglect.
“Ronna typifies the clients we serve through Every Child Succeeds,” says J.J. Wales, ECS Board Chair. “These are individuals who want to be good parents but need more skills, confidence and support. Our program is about changing lives for the better and ensuring a positive, productive future for the children in this community. The need is great, but we really are making a difference.”
