Pregnancy and parenthood can be stressful and overwhelming. Parents are often left with questions and concerns that often go unanswered.
The Estill County Health Department is now able to offer extended services to families with infants and young children through a support program.
The Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) program is a program for parents that provides services from the prenatal period until the child?s third birthday.
HANDS is designed to ease the stresses of parents with infants and toddlers and to offer answers to questions parents have about raising healthy families.
The program was previously available for only first-time mothers and fathers, but can now be extended to all parents no matter the number of children.
This means that mothers and fathers can participate in the program as they prepare for second, third or more
children.
?Before we couldn?t see a second child,? HANDS Coordinator Becky Crawford said.
In Estill County the HANDS program has approximately 40 to 45 families that participate.
Crawford said, on average, contact is made with 75 families per year through the program.
She said this program is important for the community because of the level of support that is offered at a critical time for any family.
?We go into a home when things are exciting,? she said. ?We are there to give encouragement. New [parents] are uncertain sometimes about how well they are doing.?
Crawford said the program is designed to offer resources, support and encouragement for new parents through home visits with HANDS workers.
?It?s nice to have someone come into the home and tell a parent they?re doing a good job,? she said.
Crawford said the opportunity for parents with multiple children to participate in the program will benefit the community and families already participating greatly.
?This change is beneficial because it expands support for families,? she said. ?There is a big shift taking place in families when a second child is on the way.?
Estill County has two home visitors, Teresa Talbott and Nivra Lainhart, who make trips to homes and bring homemade toys with them, along with information about resources and development.
These trained home visitors go into the homes to help parents development important skills in areas like recognizing a baby?s needs, what to expect as a baby grows and how to make a home safe for an infant or toddler.
Parents have until a child is three months old to enroll in the program.
Families are screened after a referral is made, according to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (KCHFS).
Studies show the benefits of the program extend much further than encouragement and support.
KCHFS reports, ?Families who participated in HANDS (compared to families who did not participate) experienced fewer premature infants, few low birth weight babies, fewer very low birth weight babies and fewer developmental delays. Studies have shown families that participate in HANDS in the first trimester experience even fewer incidents of the above.?
The program can be begin before a child is even born and allows mothers and fathers to ?learn more about having a healthy pregnancy, caring for their baby, how to bond with their child, how to provide their children with enriching learning experiences, creating a safe and healthy home, community resources and child development.?
Crawford said the program is open to parents of all incomes and ages.
For information contact Becky Crawford at the Estill County Health Department at 723-5227.
Source: http://www.cvt-news.com/news/?p=5546
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