Core Beliefs
Early experiences lay the foundation for life. The first years of a child's life are critical for optimal development and provide the foundation for success in all future experiences.
Soon after conception, the construction of your baby's brain begins. Like the construction of a home, the building process for your baby's brain starts with laying the foundation. Your baby's early experiences and relationships are the building blocks that create the foundation and shape how the brain is built. A strong foundation increases the chances of a bright and healthy future, while a weak foundation can increase the odds of later difficulties with things like learning or health.
- Parents are the most important teachers their children will ever have.
- Prevention and early intervention really work. By building on their strengths and addressing their needs early on, families become empowered with knowledge, skills, and confidence to raise children who are healthy, safe, and ready to succeed.
Our Program
Maine Families understands that all parents want the best for their babies. Our caring and professional family visitors partner with parents and parents-to-be to access the information and resources that can support the physical and emotional health of their baby and entire family.
Our Purpose
Maine Families' purpose is to support:
- Healthy and happy families with positive emotional and physical well-being
- Positive and effective parenting
- Healthy and strong parent-child attachments
- Positive and creative learning environments for children
- Self-confidence
- Self-sufficient families with desired educational success
- Reduced incidence of child abuse and neglect
- Reduced family isolation with links to the community
Our Model
Parents as Teachers
Parents as Teachers is an internationally recognized child development model that assists parents in recognizing that, as a parent, they are their child's first and most important teacher. Maine Families visitors are certified parent educators by Parents as Teachers.
Read more about Parents as Teachers
Our Family Visitors
Maine Families has a team of professionals who believe all parents want the best for their babies. Our team is well educated and up to date on the latest research in early childhood education and parenting needs. Each member of our team has a bachelor's degree or master's degree in areas such as social work, early childhood development or psychology. They have completed Core Knowledge training and are certified through Parents as Teachers. They participate in 18 hours of additional professional development per year as well as monthly clinical supervision and weekly reflective supervision meetings. They have excellent nonjudgmental and compassionate skills.
Meet a Maine Families Visitor!
Our Guiding Philosophy
The guiding philosophy underlying our work with families is taken from the Touchpoints approach.
We believe you are the expert about your child and as Family Visitors, we...
- Will talk with you and your child with respect and understanding.
- Value your questions about your child and your caregiving.
- Listen without judgment as you share concerns about your child's behavior.
- Get excited with you about your child's development.
- Provide guidance and support to help you understand and respond to predictable ups and downs as your child grows.
- Treat you and your family's culture and experiences with respect.
- Support you in advocating for your child and family for the best care and services from resources right in your community and beyond.