WHO WE ARE ::

Organizational History and Background.

The mission of Children’s Health Involving Parents (CHIP of Greater Richmond) is to work in partnership with parents to improve the health and wellbeing of their children. CHIP has provided home visiting services to the Richmond community since 1992, when it replicated the CHIP of Roanoke model, which had been funded by the Kellogg Foundation for its first five years. CHIP of Greater Richmond had its start as a program sponsored by the Richmond Community Action Program (RCAP) and the Richmond City Health Department. CHIP has been an independent nonprofit agency since 1997.

Our Holistic Approach

CHIP’s approach to services and families is holistic. Staff members develop relationships that make change seem doable and desirable by focusing on the positive and not highlighting the negative. They go into families’ homes—on their own turf— so that they feel in control. They listen to parents and respect their circumstances. When trust is established, real change can occur as mothers set their own small, achievable goals and build on them month by month. Empowering the parent as the decision maker for their child is crucial to the success of the family.

CHIP of Greater Richmond is a voluntary and free program. Referrals are accepted from parents themselves and other agencies and service providers including churches and schools. Typically, families are headed by a single female who has not finished high school with at least two children, living in poverty in a neighborhood plagued by drugs and crime. Approximately 80% of families live in public housing projects, with the remaining 20% in some form of subsidized Section VIII housing, or in shelters or trailer parks.

It is a strategic initiative of the Board of Directors at CHIP to serve 1,000 children by June of 2006. The need is overwhelming – our target population is there – desperately waiting for services. We continue to have families on our waiting list and the need for additional funding to accommodate the ample requests is vital. In Richmond, Virginia Youth Matters has identified approximately 8,000 families in the Metro area alone who could benefit from intensive home visiting.

Community Recognition

CHIP and its leadership have been recognized for its commitment to the community in a variety of ways. In 1999, Executive Director, Barbara W. Fleming, RN, MS, was named one of 99 Outstanding Nurses in Virginia. In 2003, she received the YWCA of Richmond’s Outstanding Woman Award in Health and Human Services and in 2005, received the VCU Outstanding Nurse Alumni Award for community service. She has her BS from the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University and her MS in maternal-child nursing from the same institution. She has more than 30 years experience as a nurse in both maternal-child and community health settings. She has extensive experience as an administrator, in hospital and community settings, and as an instructor of graduate and undergraduate nursing students. She is also the President of the Central Virginia Asthma Coalition. She has guided CHIP since inception in 1992 when home visiting services were not seen as a viable service delivery model in our area.

The agency has received two awards from the Virginia Healthcare Foundation, in 1999, for Outstanding Alumni Achievement and in 2001 – the Teamwork Award. In 2005, Aetna awarded CHIP the Mid-Atlantic Small Business of the Year Award for service to the community and commitment to staff.

of Greater Richmond
2922 W. Marshall St
Richmond, VA 23220
Phone: (804) 233-2850
Fax: (804) 233-3443

info@chipofrichmond.org