submitted by Sean Underhill, Community navigation program coordinator, Yavapai County Community Health Services
Nature Niños Prescott is in its fourth year of providing quality outdoor time to our community families. This free bilingual, collaborative program is continuing to meet its original goals of introducing parents and caregivers to family-friendly outdoor places and showing how to safely interact with our natural environment.
A less visible goal addresses the recent surgeon general advisory on the mental health and well-being of parents and caregivers.
Parents and caregivers experience multiple unique stressors from raising children including financial strain, children’s health and safety, isolation and loneliness, along with technology and social media, says Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Parents who have attended Nature Niños events have commented that prior to attending they have felt these stressors and Nature Niños has improved their sense of community connection along with being a free, safe way of introducing their children to nature.
As a father of two young children, I too have felt these stressors. Especially having spent five years as a stay-at-home parent prior to joining Nature Niños and creating Prescott’s Junior Ranger program, I have felt firsthand the benefits of these outdoor programs.
There are many parents and caregivers in need within our community. As a community resource navigator at our new Yavapai County Community Health Services Connections Center, I have assisted many parents who have struggled with these stressors.
Parents involved in our justice system usually exit the jail with little hope for themselves or their children. Now that the Connections Center exists, we help to bring them back to a caring community. We connect them with substance use, behavioral health, and other resources. I’ve had many parents crying and thanking me for jumping into their spiral of worry and pulling them back.
We can all do this, whether at our places of employment or during outreach events such as Nature Niños. If we see a parent, caregiver or child in need, know there are resources available to help and offer a hand. Together we can improve the physical and mental health of our Yavapai County community.
Yavapai County health programs and community resources can be found at www.healthyyavapai.com and
www.mohelp.org. The free Nature Niños event schedule and additional Junior Ranger Guidebook are available on the Prescott Recreation Services website. Event updates are available on social media @natureninosprescott.
