By Michael Lyon
Omaha, NE – Parents and caregivers of young North Omaha families now have a powerful new resource to help raise happy and healthy children.
The North Omaha Center for Healthy Families, an early intervention and prevention program of Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, opened Monday in the Urban League building at 30th and Lake Streets.
The Center offers a number of programs geared towards families with children under the age of 5. Its long-term vision is a reduction in abuse and truancy. Through that, officials hope to promote the chances of long-term success in school and life
Jason Dougherty, program supervisor for the Young Families Initiative at Lutheran Family Services, says research points to the critical impact of both positive and negative experiences in a child's first five years of life.
The North Omaha Center is modeled after successful Centers already established in Council Bluffs and Fremont. It can accommodate up to 250 families. 180 families are currently enrolled. The Center says 80% of those families include a pregnant or parenting teen.
You can learn more about the North Omaha Center for Healthy Families at www.lfsneb.org.