Organization - Families First Health and Support Center

Families First Health and Support Center is an independent nonprofit agency that provides a broad range of health and family support services to individuals and families, regardless of ability to pay.

Description:
Families First Health and Support Center provides primary health care for men, women and children of all ages, including preventive and routine health care, sick care and 24-hour coverage; prenatal care for low-income women and teens; oral health care; mobile health care for people who are homeless; parenting classes and support groups; family programs and parent-child play groups; and individualized family support for families facing particular stresses.

History:
Families First Health and Support Center began in 1984 as the Portsmouth Prenatal Clinic to increase access to early and quality prenatal services for low-income women and teens. A few years later, a volunteer parent aide program was added to support women who delivered babies through the Prenatal Clinic. By 1990, the parent aide program had grown into the Families First Support Center, which today offers a variety of year-round parent education classes, parent support groups, parent/child activity groups, children's programs and individualized family support. In 1997, the Families First Health Center began offering comprehensive primary care for men, women and children of all ages. As a full-service community health center, Families First has become the "safety net provider" for the most vulnerable individuals and families in the Seacoast region, including many homeless families. In 1999, Families First moved to the new Community Campus, a state-of-the-art building in Portsmouth that also houses other non-profit agencies. In the winter of 2002/2003, the agency launched two major new programs: a mobile Health Care for the Homeless project, and an on-site dental center.

Contact person: Nancy Casko, Administrative Assistant, (email)

Address:

100 Campus Drive Suite 12 Portsmouth, NH 03801 (See a map)

Directions:

Families First is located at the Community Campus in Portsmouth, half a mile west of Route 1, just off West Road in Portsmouth.   Nearest Bus Stop: Coast Bus Stops at Community Campus, 3 minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Name of Executive Director (or equivalent) if not listed above:
	Helen Taft
Type of organization
	Nonprofit 501(c)3
Is your organization a Health and Human Service agency?
	Yes