BOSTON — A lifelong Orange resident spoke outside the State House earlier this month to share her journey of receiving support as a young parent and returning to support other families.

Serenity Smith, a home visitor with Healthy Families Massachusetts, which is managed locally by Community Action Pioneer Valley, is also a former program participant. She spoke at the April 16 event recognizing National Child Abuse Prevention Month and calling attention to the need to invest in the family support workforce.

“It was pretty exhilarating, speaking at the Boston State House. I spoke in front of the Children’s Trust,” she said, referring to the public-private organization dedicated to ending child abuse and neglect in Massachusetts. “I actually have no idea how I was chosen. It was amazing. It was so supportive. I was a little nervous [but] everyone was there for the same reason and I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.”

The annual Step Up for Kids event, organized by the Children’s Trust, featured a display of 70 pairs children’s shoes, with each pair representing the average number of children confirmed as abused or neglected every day in Massachusetts. The event honored the frontline workers and evidence-based programs that help families and highlighted a perceived need for a $1.5 million increase to the state budget to support the retention of home visitors in Healthy Families Massachusetts.

Healthy Families provides pregnancy and parenting support for young parents having their first baby, according to Community Action Pioneer Valley’s website. Each family is partnered with a home visitor who provides support and reassurance as the family cares for their baby.

Smith explained her journey with this program started eight years ago, when she was 18 and pregnant with her daughter. She spoke about meeting her home visitor, Crystal, for the first time.

“I fell in love with her immediately. She didn’t come into my home to judge me — she came to support me. She made me feel normal, she reassured me, and most importantly, she helped me learn to trust myself as a mom,” Smith said in her speech at the State House. “Every week, she checked in to make sure my daughter Prair was meeting her milestones. And every week, I felt more confident in my role as a mother. It didn’t feel like an agency visit; it felt like a friend coming over.”

Smith said Crystal secured Smith’s husband a state Department of Conservation and Recreation pass so he could help his daughter experience nature’s beauty.

“Because of our home visitor, he gained the confidence to be the engaged, loving father he is today. Eventually, he even signed up for the Healthy Families program himself, and he was more of a hands-on father when our son was born about two years later after we graduated from the program,” Smith said in her speech. “Healthy Families didn’t just help us as parents, it helped us as a family. Crystal encouraged me to pursue my dream to go to college, and now, I’m almost finished with my degree in human services. This program gave my husband and I courage that later on helped us become the soul caregivers to an 11-year-old relative who has become part of my family for three years now. I also built a network of other young moms who became my friends — something I never expected when I first signed up.”

She referred to her work as a home visitor as a dream come true.

The event also celebrated the dedication of key legislators. State Sen. Robyn Kennedy, chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, and state Rep. Susannah Whipps, of Athol, were honored with the Children’s Trust’s Valuing Our Children Award for their commitment to policies and programs that support families in the state.

“I’ve worked with the Children’s Trust since 2015 on their Task Force for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse,” Whipps said. “We created an amazing website, which is a toolbox for youth-serving organizations, called ‘Safe Kids Thrive.’”

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll presented a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

“No child should ever experience abuse or neglect. Today’s event serves as an important reminder to look beyond the statistics. Behind every number is a story of a child that is experiencing harm and it’s on us to ensure that we’re speaking up against abuse of all kinds, but especially when it’s against our most vulnerable,” she said. “Child Abuse Prevention Month is a time to recommit ourselves to breaking the cycle of abuse and standing up for the children of Massachusetts. We are proud to support the Children’s Trust and their mission.”

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.