Department of Social Services

Since 1993, Self Help, Inc. has held a contract with the Department of Social Services to provided family based services. The goals of the program are:

• To protect children at risk of abuse or neglect
• To preserve families at risk of separation and minimize placement of children outside their home
• To reunite families and improve the planning for and use of permanent homes for children who cannot be returned to their natural homes.

Brockton Area Multi Service

Self Help, Inc. is one of the programs within a network of agencies for which the Brockton Area Multi Services Center is the lead agency and that include Brockton Family and Community Resources, Catholic Charities, Cape Verdean Association, Greater Services of Boston, Latino Health Institute, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC), South Bay Mental Health and Old Colony YMCA. Our Family Based Services is a vital partner of this network that provides a wide range of comprehensive family based services.

Self Help Family Based Services

Our program, funded by the Department of Social Services is a closed referral program for families with children aged birth through 18 years. The purpose of the program is to prevent child abuse/neglect and out of home placements.

The Family Based Services program provides many types of in-home support services to referred families facing a challenging time with parenting. Support services are designed to intervene, prevent, and find a remedy for the conditions threatening the in-home stability of children and the maintenance of the core family unit. Families receive a multitude of services including but not limited to:

• Intensive Family Stabilization Services
• Child Safety Training
• Family Counseling
• Parenting Training
• Child Development and Nutrition
• Home and Financial Management
• Identifying and using community resources
• Life Skills Education
• Advocacy with school system and/or service providers
• Special Needs Education

Our Family Based Services Program staff are community professionals that have the appropriate qualifications and experience to offer quality care to assigned families. Most staff are bilingual in two or more languages including Spanish, Cape Verdean Creole, French Creole and Portuguese. Staff are reflective of the linguistic and cultural composition of the communities they serve. Staff are supportive, caring and make the critical difference in enabling parents to succeed.

5 Steps to Successful Parenting

1st: Caring for your child is the most important work you will do as a parent.

When your child is loved and protected, she is more likely to grow up to be a happy, healthy adult. And you can take good care of her by following a few simple rules. Be sure your child:

• eats nutritious food
• is clean and has good medical care
• is safe
• gets the sleep she needs
• gets plenty of the right kind of attention

2nd: Feeding your child

Even before your baby is born, you can be sure she has a healthy diet. Since a baby get nutrition from her mother, mom needs to eat foods with lots of vitamins. Ask your doctor to recommend a good diet during pregnancy. For the first few months after your infants birth, she will depend on breast milk or formula. She probably will need to eat often because she is growing quickly, so it is best to feed your baby whenever she is hungry instead of following a rigid schedule. Your doctor will tell you to introduce solid foods, usually when your baby is a few months old. Sometime around her first birthday, your baby will want to begin feeding herself, even though she may lack the coordination. This can result in messy mealtimes, but remember, she is growing up and trying to become independent. It may not seem important to you, but this is a big adventure for her. She is learning to take care of herself. Do your best to make mealtime a fun, learning experience for her. Your baby will feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment from learning this new skill. Spreading plastic on the floor, under her high chair will make cleanup easier.

Regular meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) help you to be sure she is getting the nutrition she needs when she needs it. Your child may get hungry between meals, so have nutritious snacks available (fruit, vegetables). Remember, your child probably doesn't need to eat a lot at one time. If she eats a small amount at a meal, don't try to force her to eat more. Her stomach may be full, an forcing her to eat will make mealtime an occasion for tears and unhappiness. Most importantly, try to make mealtime pleasant and relaxing. Choose another time to solve family problems.

3rd: Keeping your child clean and healthy

Part of the caring for your child is being sure she is clean and receives necessary medical care. This care begins before your baby is born. If you have regular prenatal doctor visits and avoid cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs, you will increase your child's chances for good health. Once your baby is born, she needs to see the doctor for regular well-child visits. During these visits the doctor monitors her development, measures growth and weight gain, and immunizes her against various diseases. In spite of these well-child visits, she probably will have minor illnesses during childhood. Call your doctor whenever you have a concern about her health. When se is about two years old, regular dental visits should begin. Keeping your child clean will help keep her healthy. Set up a daily routine for bathing, tooth brushing, and hair combing. And teach your child to wash her hands before meals.

To contact the program call 508-559-8821 or email

family based@selfhelpinc.org