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City of Hopewell’s Healthy Families program highlights expansion into Dinwiddie and free home-visitation services
Summary
Carrie Wheeler described Healthy Start/Loving Steps, a Virginia Department of Health–funded home-visitation program that expanded into Dinwiddie in 2024. She said the program serves 18 local families, provides care coordination and screenings, and is offered at no charge to participants.
Carrie Wheeler, program supervisor for Healthy Start/Loving Steps with the City of Hopewell, briefed the board on a home-visitation program that expanded into Dinwiddie in 2024 under a Virginia Department of Health grant. Wheeler said the program focuses on mitigating risk factors for preterm birth and low birth weight and on connecting families to services; she reported 18 Dinwiddie families were enrolled and that participation is free.
Wheeler described services provided during home visits—care coordination, screenings for postpartum depression and intimate-partner violence, infant-development monitoring, parenting education, and a fatherhood initiative called Fatherhood Empowered. Funding for core services comes through a VDH grant, and the program uses outside fundraising for emergency family assistance. Wheeler said the program’s goal is improved maternal and infant outcomes and to reduce health disparities through evidence-based home visitation and referrals.
Board members asked about funding sources and eligibility. Wheeler confirmed the program’s grant from the Virginia Department of Health and said the program is waiting for the next grant cycle funds to arrive; she also described local fundraising such as an annual Blue Gala used for emergency family support.
