Oakland, Mich.

When 16-year-old Jenny gave birth to Cheynne (shown here in 2003), she and her family found friends at Healthy Start, a free program available to all pregnant women and infants up to age 3, regardless of income, insurance, or immigration status. "They helped me stay strong, get focused, and accomplish my goals of not only raising my child, but also preparing myself for the road ahead," Jenny recalls.

Healthy Start/Healthy Families Oakland, an initiative of St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, located in Pontiac, Mich., has been providing specialized services to first-time parents for 10 years. On a weekly basis, 15 highly trained family support specialists make home visits to some 250 families. They promote healthy child growth and development and help strengthen families, which often have a hard time adapting to the new situation.

"What we have learned over the years is that ensuring strong nurturing relationships between parents and their children is like a vaccination; those families that have it, won't experience abuse and neglect," said Melissa Freel, program director.

St. Joseph Mercy Oakland is a Ministry Organization of Trinity Health, based in Novi, Mich.