In 2019, Velkies moved to the Florida panhandle with her husband and two children with a baby on the way. With her husband at work all day, Velkies found herself feeling isolated in her new home. She didn’t speak English, but was determined to overcome language barriers to see her children succeed.

Velkies found Children’s Home Society of Florida’s Healthy Families Program and was connected with Elaine — a Family Support Worker who not only spoke Spanish but was connected to the Latino community in Escambia County.

With Elaine and Healthy Families, Velkies found a support system to help her reach her goals. Elaine assisted Velkies to find health care and insurance as well as resources to provide her family with healthy nutritional foods, child care and a community to support her emotionally. Today, Velkies is employed, seeing her children thrive and feeling supported and stable in her community.

As parents seek to raise their children in health, happy homes, Children’s Home Society of Florida Healthy Families is there to support them along the way. Velkies will soon graduate the Healthy Families Program and we are tremendously proud of all of her successes.

All CHS early childhood services are free to the families we serve. If you or someone you know could benefit from this support, please call your local office to learn more.