Making Positive Changes for Families through
Su Casa de Esperanza Programs
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| | Pre-Natal Education A pregnant women is referred, initial data is collected, and a home visitor is assigned to the mother-to-be. Ten home visits are made to the expectant mother. Each visit includes lessons on fetal development, finding a doctor, proper nutrition, dangers of using drugs and alcohol during pregnancy, and instruction in early childhood development. These visits keep the home visitor in touch with the family, and ensures that the mother is getting appropriate prenatal medical care.
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Infant Stimulation After the baby is born, weekly visits continue until the baby is nine months old. These visits follow a parent education curriculum, instructing the mother and other caregivers, while at the same time checking for signs of developmental delay and other problems that might arise in sight, hearing, gross and fine motor skills, and cognitive development. The home visitor devotes approximately one hour per visit and makes three visits each month to each family.
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| Toddlers When the child is nine months old until the age of three, the mother and child come to our education center every week for 90 minute sessions with other mothers and babies. Transportation is provided for the families. The purpose of these sessions is to continue the developmental stimulation through age-appropriate activities. The mother is involved in every activity and is instructed on how to continue working with her child at home. In addition, the mothers are able to form friendships outside the home with women in similar circumstances. This reduces the sense of isolation many feel when they enter the program. At three years of age, the toddlers graduate to the local Head Start program or to the public school setting. .
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After School Program One of our goals is to provide opportunities for our children to learn and to express themselves in a safe and a supportive environment after school hours. Awareness education is provided in the areas of gangs, drug abuse prevention, and nutrition education. Activities promote the development of personal values, manners, and morals. Su Casa De Esperanza is currently in partnership with Good Samaritan Community Services, Pharr, Texas, to provide these services to our youth. Many of the children and their mothers have been with the programs since their Prenatal stage of life.
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Parenting Skills - Parents are given instruction on effective ways to raise children. Topics taught include hygiene, caring for childhood illnesses, proper nutrition, discipline, values, manners, and respect. Parents are also introduced to the resources available to them in their community. Various community agencies participate in the presentations to parents.
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Computer Literacy - Computer literacy training is one of several areas which Su Casa emphasizes in its efforts to improve the literacy levels of the people in the Las Milpas community. AT&T awarded Su Casa De Esperanza a $25,000 technology grant to provide additional programs in Technology. Wireless internet services will be added to Su Casa, with added hours in the evening to allow more adults in the community to take advantage of this opportunity.
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