Healthy Families New York provides voluntary in-home services that reach at-risk families before children are maltreated. The program:

• saves children by stopping abuse and neglect before it starts;
• saves money by keeping children out of foster care and child welfare systems;
• is recognized by advocates, service providers, and community leaders as the most effective way to reach high-risk families to prevent abuse and neglect.

The executive FY 2006-07 budget originally included $18.6 million in TANF funds for Healthy Families New York, a $1 million increase over the current and past three years. This amount would have done little more than cover increased costs of providing services from a year ago. Three years of flat-funding has resulted in four percent fewer families receiving services than in 2003, while referrals to the program have increased by five percent.

The additional $7.4 million will allow for the expansion of the program’s prevention services to an estimated 1,300 more families at existing and new sites.

Healthy Families New York is recognized by the prestigious Rand Corporation's "Promising Practices" initiative as a program proven to improve outcomes for children.

• Summary of program impacts after one year of home visiting
  
• Full report: Evaluation of Healthy Families New York: First Year Program Impacts (PDF 481k).
  
• Summary of program impacts after two years of home visiting
  
• Full report: Healthy Families New York Randomized Trial: Impacts on Parenting After the First Two Years (PDF; will open in a new window)

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