More Than a Checkup – Supporting Families in Rural New York

HealthySteps found me.

My parenting journey is full of stories where I had no support, no community around me to help me parent. And often, my husband was deployed to a war zone. I know how lonely it can feel as a parent, and especially as a mom. I think that’s exactly why HealthySteps found me. 

I grew up as what people call a “Navy brat.” My parents were dual-military, and we moved constantly. Then I became a military spouse myself, supporting my husband through 17 and a half years of active Army duty, giving birth to all four of my children along the way — including one who arrived just four days after I moved to a brand-new state.

Meeting Families Where They Are

When my husband retired from the Army, we moved to Walworth, New York, in rural Wayne County — a community with no cities, no colleges or universities, no public transportation.

That’s where HealthySteps comes in. HealthySteps is a nationwide program that integrates a child development and behavioral health promotion and prevention specialist into pediatric primary care.

As the HealthySteps Specialist at Newark Pediatrics, I work alongside four providers, including my HealthySteps Physician Champion, Dr. Bjorseth, who has served this community for over 30 years. The idea behind the program is simple but powerful: families are already coming to the doctor’s office — why make them travel somewhere else for support?

I wear a lot of hats. I’m a licensed master’s-level social worker and a certified lactation counselor. I provide maternal mental health support, parenting guidance, access to community resources, and help monitor children’s developmental milestones.  

“Especially in our rural county, trying to make it a one-stop shop is very important to me, so we can meet the needs of our community when they show up.” — Danielle

When a parent walks through the door stressed, sleep-deprived, or overwhelmed, I’m there to help them through it. Inside my office, you’ll find lots of snacks, because there’s nothing worse than showing up at a doctor’s office with a hungry, cranky toddler. There are also diapers, wipes, bottles, pacifiers, and thermometers — because a surprising number of families don’t own one, and the first time a baby runs a fever is not the moment to find that out. I hand out books and toys donated by local organizations during visits. 

You Are Not Alone

I first met Shania and her son Cohen when he was four days old — a blur for most families, but the beginning of a relationship that would carry them through a challenging first year. Cohen had slow weight gain as a newborn and went through the flu, COVID, and hand, foot, and mouth disease. For any new parent, even one of these moments can be overwhelming. 

“Danielle helped me from the get-go. She helped every time I was there. I tried nursing him and she helped with latching. She showed me a new position to hold him in, which made such a difference, and I think I started crying because I wouldn’t have known that if it wasn’t for her.”

– Shania

“It’s a judgment-free zone where you can express how hard things can be and really have an outlet for that, right there in the doctor’s office while you’re going through it.” 

– Danielle

My approach with Shania, and with every parent, is to meet people where they are — joyful, exhausted, scared, or all three at once. Watching Cohen meet his developmental milestones and watching Shania’s confidence grow alongside him is one of the best parts of this work. Shania kept showing up. She asked questions. She advocated. She was exactly the kind of devoted mother Cohen needed. 

Support Within Reach

“I really just want families not to feel like they are alone, that they exist in a community that will rally support around them when they need it.” — Danielle

In Wayne County, the stakes are high. Families face transportation barriers, food insecurity, limited mental health access, and the ongoing threat of cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and Head Start. That’s the magic of HealthySteps. It’s not a second appointment or another referral across town. Just a Specialist, already there, already trusted, in the place families show up anyway.

There is no manual for parenting. We’re all just doing the best we can with the information we have. My job is to make sure that information — and that support — is always within reach. And we’re lucky that our HealthySteps program is grant-funded, allowing us to offer it at no cost to families — which matters enormously when other supports are disappearing. 

“Building moms’ confidence and supporting their mental health is probably the single most important thing we can do for babies. Babies don’t exist in a vacuum. Babies are a product of their parents, their communities, and their immediate surroundings.” — Danielle

Believing in babies means building a world where they can thrive. For the families I serve, that world starts right here, in a small pediatric office in Newark, New York, where the door is always open.

Danielle Cady is a licensed master-level social worker (LMSW), certified lactation counselor, and notary public. Danielle is married to her high school sweetheart and is a mom to four kids and a spoiled dog. Danielle was an active-duty Army spouse for 17.5 years, through multiple deployments and nine relocations, and a stay-at-home mom for 15 of those years. Danielle is passionate about community building and political advocacy and is active in her community through kids’ activities, volunteer opportunities, and serving as the Chair of Walworth’s Democratic Committee.