Our program is voluntary and families in McKinley County are welcomed and encouraged to participate. We use a strength-based, family-centered approach to guide visits.    

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• Any member of the community can participate in the program by referring themselves or by being referred by another family or partner organization.  

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• Once we receive a referral, an Avenues team member will contact the family within a few days to set up an informational visit.  

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• This is an opportunity for the family to learn more about the Avenues program.  If the family decides to sign up, preliminary information and paperwork, including confidentiality agreements will be completed. 

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• The family, together with their assigned home visitor, will decide how many visits they would like per month.  This can range from once a week to two times a month, with a minimum visit time of 90 minutes per month.  

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• The family will also discuss what goals they would like to set for their participation in the program.  There is no limit to the number of goals that can be set!  While different goals can be set, the visits will remain child-centered.  

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• Various developmental screenings will be conducted periodically to support the child meeting their milestones as well as to see if any additional supports are needed.  We use this time as an opportunity to reach out to community partners and other resources in the community (e.g. Early Intervention) if necessary.  

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• Each of our home visitors is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about early childhood development and each have their unique talents and skills to offer as well.  We currently use the Partners for Healthy Babies and Promoting First Relationships curriculum to guide visits.