MVHC Offers Legacy For Children Program

A wonderful new program for young mothers is being offered at the Muskingum Valley Health Centers.

Legacy For Children is new to the area and meets weekly at the Health Center. Dr. Lara Robinson, Behavioral Scientist for the Center for Disease Control told us there are three different outcomes for the program. Those include promoting sense of community and building supports between mothers, sensitive and positive parent child relationships and to help mothers feel comfortable and confident in their parenting. Pediatrician, Dr. John Schowinsky said the program started several years ago in Los Angeles and Miami where poverty rates were low. Dr. Schowinsky told us about the results of program findings.

“They have followed these children over three years and it’s very interesting. They took a control group of about 1,500 and it started out with a group of about 3.000 children and mothers…there were less behavioral issues, there were less psyche diagnoses, there were less children at ages 3 and 4 and 5 diagnosed with attention deficit and the severity of the attention deficit was less.”

That is only a portion of program benefits. Dr. Robinson says the program allows time for moms to connect with each other, one on one time with their children and also the group leader. Dr. Robinson explained more about what it means for the center to be able to offer the program to the community.

“We’re absolutely thrilled. CDC has spent 20 years of research developing and studying this program and now we’re able to take it to communities like this one and to see it making a difference for children and families is just the best part of our job.”

Dr. Showinsky hopes that young mothers take the opportunity to enroll in the program. You can learn more about it at the Muskingum Valley Behavioral Health Centers.