Programs

Arbor Circle’s Infant and Toddler Development Services (ITDS) program is designed to help parents learn more about themselves and their children, enabling them to discover new ways to build strong relationships with their infants and toddlers. By addressing a variety of behavioral concerns and parental issues, such as depression, anxiety, or fears, our ITDS program empowers parents to create nurturing and supportive environments for their children’s growth and development. This is achieved through a range of services including counseling, case management, and more.

Early Childhood Attachment Therapists provide emotional support, child development education, assistance with the development of life skills education and goal attainment, parent-infant psychotherapy and assistance with material needs to help foster a strong attachment and bond between the child and caregiver.

The program serves pregnant mothers and children up to age 5. Services take place in your home or in the community. The program serves families with Medicaid or Medicaid eligible.

ECA can be helpful to parents experiencing the following issues:
*stress with your child’s behavior
*crisis in the home
*difficulty bonding with your child
*uncertainty about your child’s development
*grief & loss
*difficulty co-parenting or getting support
*difficulty connecting with resources within your community

Families (expectant parents and/or children 0-3 years) and Home Visitors meet weekly for 90 minutes and discuss parent-selected topics, including child development, family well-being, community resources, and goals. Every visit includes an activity parents and children can do together, and families will receive a new book to add to their home library once a month. Interpreters are available for home visits, play groups, and family events as needed.

Play Groups are held twice a month for families and children to spend time together. The agenda is developed with input from families and provides an opportunity to help learn about typical child development and parenting issues. Our Home Visitors are fully trained in the Parents as Teachers curriculum, which promotes goal-oriented relationships and shared planning for home visits. We use the COR Advantage child development assessment to gauge and discuss children’s progress.

Healthy Families Kent County is a support program available from pregnancy through three years old where families can get personal, in-depth support and introduction to resources. Work one-on-one with a Family Support Specialist who will meet you where you are and show you the steps to achieve your parenting goals.

Nurse-Family Partnership is free for women who are pregnant with their first baby. You can enroll anytime before 29 weeks of pregnancy. Your nurse will meet with you in your home or where you are most comfortable. When you enroll you will be connected to a registered nurse who will provide support, advice and information you need to have a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby and be a great mom.

You will learn and practice things that make you a more confident mom, like breastfeeding, nutrition, child development and much more! We will provide referrals based on your needs. Your nurse will also support you to continue your education, develop job skills and follow your dreams for the future.

Bright Beginnings is a Blue Ribbon Model Affiliate of the Parents as Teachers program that promotes young children’s early development, learning, and health by supporting and engaging their parents and caregivers.

We believe that young children learn and grow in strong families where parents are able to successfully face the challenge of caring for their children while meeting their work and other responsibilities. Bright Beginnings is a support program that nurtures families allowing their children to thrive!

The Early On program is designed to help families find the social, health, and educational services that will promote the development of their infant or toddler (birth to 36 months) with a developmental delay, disability, or established medical condition. We provide in-home or community based evaluations and intervention to eligible infants and toddlers and their families.

If a child is found to be eligible for Early On, we can:

Assist in making an individual plan to support the child and family
Provide ideas to support development in everyday activities
Connect families with community resources and collaborate with physicians
Listen, support, and encourage families and caregivers
Help parents become their child’s best advocate
Connect families and caregivers with their local school district to ensure a continuum of support

Families that enroll in MIHP are partnered with trusted, caring, and knowledgeable professional Nurses and Social Workers, who serve the goals and needs of each family. MIHP is an evidence-based program committed to providing individualized education and resources for supporting a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

The goal of the Michigan Home Visiting Initiative is to make sure moms have a healthy pregnancy and parents are supported to help their children grow and develop in a safe and stimulating environment. Home visiting is free, voluntary and can give you information on many topics based on what your family needs.

MomsBloom provides hands-on and emotional support in a family’s home as they transition to life with a newborn. Support is provided by trained, non-judgmental community volunteers. At this time, services are only available in Kent and Ottawa counties.

Families are offered 12 weeks of postpartum support where a volunteer comes to their home for at least one visit each week, lasting a minimum of 2 hours.

This program encourages and supports the start of a healthy life. Our programming is tailored toward Tribal Communities and is designed to complement prenatal, postpartum, and pediatric care. Provides home visiting services utilizing the Family Spirit Curriculum for clients, prenatal to age five, and provides experiences with the new cultural literacy program, Gikinawaabi.

Baby Scholars is an educational program designed to help parents help their children reach their full potential. Baby Scholars gives parents of children five months to four years the tools they need to help their babies grow smarter and to equip their children for kindergarten. The program focuses on helping parents become the best teachers they can be, so their children can succeed in school and in life. Home coaching, fun workshops, and first school programs are all based on the research and proven models of Susan Landry, a nationally recognized expert in parenting and early childhood. All sessions are offered in English and Spanish.

Strong Beginnings is a partnership of seven community agencies dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Black and Latine women, men, and their babies, from pregnancy through early childhood. Community Health Workers, therapists and parent coaches offer social support, education, counseling, and referrals to needed services in order to promote racial equity and eliminate disparities in birth outcomes, early child development, and maternal health. All services are offered in English and Spanish.

The Strong Beginnings – Healthy Start fatherhood initiative seeks to strengthen families by encouraging fathers to play an active role in nurturing and raising their children through mentoring, education, and father-child activities. Strong Fathers/Padres Fuertes is available to  male partners of Strong Beginnings clients and to men raising a child under 18 months. Male staff can visits your home or other convenient location.

Services include:

• Education on topics like men’s health, healthy relationships, and infant care.
• Ideas on how men can support their partners during pregnancy and after.
• Information on parenting and child development.
• Help with getting transportation, job training, food, legal advice, baby supplies, and medical
  care.
• Referrals to counseling for stress and depression

We believe–like you–that our little ones are a bundle of joy and potential. Parents and caregivers are telling us they want to help their child get off to the greatest start ever. Little Scholars can help you maximize your child’s potential and help them grow smarter (or get off to a great start).

If you are a parent of a young child (ages 0-5) and live in Kent County, we invite you to participate. This program will help parents learn and reinforce the important techniques for strengthening growth, child development, and learning in your infant, toddler, or preschool child. Parent coaching is delivered weekly over an 11 week period, by phone, zoom meeting, at your home, or in a convenient location. You will be learning about techniques like: labeling, maintaining, shared-book reading, etc. While participating in this program, you will receive children’s books, developmental toys, and other incentives.