CHIP (Community Health Investment Project) is a home visiting program that has been a part of People Incorporated since 1989. Services are provided, in twice-monthly home visits, by a CHIP team consisting of a Parent Educator and a Nurse. The program focuses on child and family well-being that serves to ensure that each child enters school healthy and ready to learn. The Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum, which reinforces the role of parents as a child’s first teacher, is used to provide parental instruction. Parent Educators prepare lessons suited to the needs and goals of the family being served. PAT is an evidence-based model for delivering in-home services.
CHIP’s service area includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell and Washington Counties as well as the City of Bristol. During the current program year, it is anticipated that 173 children will be served in these localities. These are children from low-income families often headed by a single parent. Frequently, parents or guardians of children enrolled in CHIP have not completed high school, and many bear the emotional stress of being unable to provide for their family’s basic needs. Initially, they may feel inadequate at guiding and nurturing their children. Through their participation in the program, parents develop goals and have access to age appropriate books, lesson plans and other learning tools which instill a sense of confidence in parents who would otherwise lack the skills and tools to promote literacy in the home. With the guidance of their Parent Educator, CHIP parents learn how to teach a love of learning to their children and, at the same time, gain literacy skills and confidence in their parenting abilities.
CHIP families are also connected to community resources to meet their needs to improve family well-being. Parents learn about child development so they are able to connect their child’s stage of development with their child’s behavior. This is important in helping parents identify and understand causes of behaviors. It also reduces inappropriate parental responses to a child’s behavior. Parents in CHIP develop warm, responsive, encouraging and communicative interactions with their child as part of planned parent-child interactions that are built in the lessons prepared and delivered at each home visit.
CHIP Nurses work with families to ensure that children have a medical and dental home, keep up to date on well visits and immunizations and understand the importance of and link between good health and good nutrition. Scheduled screening of the children’s development also leads to the earliest possible detection of developmental delays. Families are assisted with referrals to early intervention services if developmental delays are noted. Early detection and treatment of noted delays will improve school readiness for that child.
Amazingly, more than 85% of human brain development occurs prenatally to age five.
Children’s earliest experiences actually shape the architecture of the brain which creates either a resilient or fragile foundation for learning and health. Parents enrolled in CHIP learn the importance of their interaction with their children and develop behaviors and skills that provide the best possible foundation for a future of learning.
Please contact Amy Compton, CHIP Coordinator at 276-619-2254(office), 276-698-1001(cell), 276-628-2931(fax), for brochures, additional information, referral forms or to make a referral.