Family Network/Right From The Start

Right From The Start/ Desde el Principio (RFTS) provides education and family support services to at-risk Spanish speaking families who are expecting a baby or who have children and live primarily Highland Park, Highwood and nearby communities.

The program aims to promote healthy family functioning, healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women, and enhance the development of children.

Intervention and prevention-based services are provided for parents, primarily mothers, who may be facing obstacles such as: cultural and languages barriers, isolation, single parenting, financial struggles, and postpartum depression.

RFTS was created in 1994. The program was created in response to the unmet needs of the growing Latino population of Highwood and Highland Park. In the beginning RFTS started with hospital visits, later on, home visits, prenatal groups and a parent education group were incorporated into the program. RFTS has grown and diversified its services by continually assessing our families’ needs and planning new strategies to help fulfill service gaps encountered by our participants.

Currently the program serves around 250 families, provides hospital visits, home visits and 14 different groups that promote the Latino families’ wellbeing. All our services are free of charge. Transportation and childcare are provided for all groups.