New Study Aims to Strengthen Massachusetts Families Through Nutrition and Food Security
The Children’s Trust is partnering with researchers from Harvard-affiliated programs and the Greater Boston Food Bank on a new study that looks at how promoting healthy eating and reducing food insecurity can improve parent and child health.
The study, ENHANCE: Enhancing Nutrition in Home-Visiting programs to Advance PareNt-Child Health, will work with the Children’s Trust’s Healthy Families Massachusetts program, which supports young, first-time parents through home-based coaching and family support. The goal of ENHANCE is to create and test new ways to make healthy eating enjoyable, affordable, and accessible for families in Massachusetts. When parents have the resources and support they need to access nutritious food, it may ease financial and emotional stress, which are some of the root causes of child abuse and neglect.
“When families don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, they can focus on caring for their children and building a strong future together. This study is an exciting opportunity to change systems so that families across Massachusetts have the support, nutrition, and stability they need to thrive.”
Jennifer Valenzuela, Executive Director of the Children’s Trust
In the first two years, the research team will design and refine the nutrition supports and collaborate with partners across Massachusetts, including state nutrition programs like WIC, maternal and child health organizations, and local nonprofits that help families access healthy food. In the next phase, the team will study how well the program works in Healthy Families Massachusetts programs across the state.
Healthy Families Massachusetts is a home-based family support and coaching program that supports young, first-time parents to create stable, nurturing environments for their children, reducing incidents of abuse and neglect. The program matches parents with trained professionals who visit families’ homes to provide support during pregnancy and the child’s first three years of life. Home visitors partner with parents to discuss baby care and child development, promote nurturing and attachment, practice effective parenting strategies, and help parents identify and reduce stressors. They also counsel parents on achieving personal goals such as continuing education or securing a job. The Children’s Trust partners with local organizations to implement Healthy Families Massachusetts within their community. Healthy Families Massachusetts is part of the Children’s Trust network of programs.
The study will be led by Drs. Marie-France Hivert and Margaret McConnell of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School, with colleagues Dr. Lauren Fiechtner of Massachusetts General Hospital and Rachel Burgun of the Greater Boston Food Bank. It is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) as part of a larger effort to find practical, community-based ways to improve health and prevent hardship before it starts.
By connecting research, public health, and family support programs, this partnership strengthens access to nutritious food and supports healthy eating for the whole family, which can reduce stress and improve health for parents and children.