HANDS & Early Childhood Development

HANDS is early childhood program providing families with information about a variety of topics, including:

Healthy pregnancy
Caring for your child
How to bond with your baby
How to support a child with early experiences in life that supports the child’s lifetime brain development and emotional health
Creating safe and healthy homes
Tools to make your family strong

All families receive information and learn about resources. Many families may receive additional support through home visits, if they wish. Families engage in fun activities to support their child's development as parents are their first teacher!

Who Can Participate and When?

Any parent/caregiver expecting a new baby or those enrolling before their child is 90 days old. Services are always voluntary and free. Clark Co. HANDS serves families from Clark and Powell Co. We can refer families outside of our service area to the provider in their community.

How has HANDS improved Kentucky’s families’ lives?

Studies have shown that families who participate in HANDS experience:

Fewer premature infants
Fewer low birth weight babies
Fewer very low birth weight babies
Fewer development delays

Families also report improvements in:

Home safety
Support Systems
Discipline Techniques
Anger Management Skills
Coping Skills
Amount of Stress Experienced

HANDS Believes:

All parents want to be good parents.
All parents want their children to be healthy
All families have strengths.
Families are responsible for their children.
Families are the primary decision makers regarding their children.
Communities recognize their roles in children's lives.
Communities recognize that all children must succeed.
Prevention and early intervention improves the community's well-being.
Public and private partnerships are vital to a successful program.

For more information about the HANDS program in Clark County, contact any HANDS staff person at (859)744-4482.