A person can discover a lot in 30 years, especially about themselves. Michelle Marty, Program Manager for Healthy Families North Alabama at the NCAC, says that she didn’t plan to work closely with children, but that is what life had in store for her. “I felt like I was led in the direction of helping children,” she says, “I love them, and I love helping them.” Michelle has an extensive history of being a kind-hearted person with an eagerness to care for others. She worked for HelpLine while going through graduate school, eventually landing the role of Children’s Worker with HOPE Place upon graduation. In 1995, she began her career with NCAC by teaching parenting classes. Michelle was a young parent herself, and it was during this time that she heard about an emerging program from Prevent Child Abuse America, based on the success of relational health home visiting in Hawaii.
“It spoke to me as a young parent,” Michell recalls, “It really is about parent-to-parent support, with the goal being to help all parents be the best they can be for their child.” As the manager of the program locally, she says she loves seeing how Healthy Families North Alabama can build strong relationships for not only parents and their children, but the case workers connecting with the families they serve. She says education and awareness go a long way in helping to prevent child abuse before it starts.
“Kids can’t necessarily prevent abuse. So, it’s really getting adults to look at abuse differently. To confront it when they see signs. Report it. Trust your gut. It’s about trying to change people’s attitudes about children and what they need,” Michelle says. “We strive for parents to recognize the incredibleness of their child and attach to them. If you build that strong attachment to your child, you’ll always protect them.”
A goal of Healthy Families North Alabama is to make sure EVERY child is wanted and adored—partnering with parents to help the children feel empowered to thrive and find their way in life. Something Michelle holds near and dear to her heart.
“It’s figuring yourself out and finding that ‘I really like doing for others. I like helping. It feels like the right thing to do.’ Michelle continued. “If we all just tried to be a little bit kinder, what would the world be like?”
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