A $12,000 grant is helping Healthy Kids expand its services in Butler County.

The organization recently received the grant through the Department of Child Abuse and Neglect. The additional funds will allow for the expansion of home visitation programs, such as Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) and Parents as Teachers. It will also allow local officials to begin a new program called Baby TALK.

Baby TALK was created in 1986.

The program’s framework aims to help parents, educators, physicians, as well as city leaders in supporting school readiness and child development in infants and toddlers.

“These home visitation programs empower the parents to become their child’s first teacher,” said Susan Lowman, Healthy Kids Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention coordinator. “They are also school readiness programs that help ensure that each child is prepared for school.”

With the addition of Baby TALK, Healthy Kids will now serve 42 families and 54 children.

Anyone interested in taking part in Baby TALK, can contact Karen Watkins at Healthy Kids (334) 371-4477.