Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting (MECSH)
MECSH is an evidenced-based nurse home visiting program that helps families’ parent effectively despite the challenges and difficulties they face. Families are partnered with a nurse who will provide them with education on how to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Nurses will also help families set goals for themselves and provide them with resources to help achieve their goals. Families will learn positive parenting skills, ways to bond and play with their baby, and skills to access community resources.
Benefits of MECSH
- MECSH is designed to support parents’ transition to parenthood as they learn to adapt and self-manage despite day-to-day challenges.
- Improve parental and child health and well-being.
- Support and model positive parent-infant interaction.
- Promote positive parent-child relationships.
- Help parents establish and achieve goals for themselves and their children.
- Help parents foster relationships within their family and community.
Eligibility requirements of MECSH
- Individuals who are pregnant
- Up to 8 weeks from hospital discharge after baby was born
- Live in service area
Free Support for Parents to Build Strong Families
Let professional and highly trained home visitors support you and your family on your journey to success. Utilizing the nationally recognized SafeCare model, you will receive weekly visits that are divided into core focus areas: parent-child interaction, health and home safety. In each focus area or module, you will build on and strengthen your skills through a variety of interactive sessions.
In addition to enhancing your confidence and knowledge around parenting, you will also gain access to important community supports and have opportunities to take part in structured problem-solving activities as needed. SafeCare is the ideal partner for you and your family to strengthen the foundation for your family’s and children’s success. SafeCare is an evidence-based program that offers free help to families with young children.
Benefits of SafeCare:
- Evidence-based program;
- Free to participate;
- Establish a partnership with your family that supports positive parent-child interactions;
- Development screenings for your child;
- Connect you with community supports that meet your family’s needs;
- And much more.
Eligibility Requirements of SafeCare:
- Families must have a child birth to five years old;
- Participation is voluntary.
Get Care for the Most Vulnerable: High Risk Pregnant People and Neonatal Intensive Care Infants
The High Risk Perinatal Program (HRPP) is a comprehensive, statewide system of services dedicated to reducing maternal and infant mortality. The 3 components of the program include:
1) Maternal and Neonatal Transport Services that provide medical consultation and case management related to treatment/stabilization and, if needed, maternal and/or neonatal transport to available higher level(s) of care.
2) Hospital and Inpatient Physician Services that provide comprehensive, developmentally and risk appropriate care to critically ill infants within a hospital setting that is caring and supportive to the infant and their extended family.
3) Community Nursing Services that facilitates the transition of the child and family from the Newborn Intensive Care Unit to their home and community.
The program provides a safety net for Arizona families, to ensure the most appropriate level of care surrounding birth as well as early identification and support for the child’s developmental needs.
Benefits of HRPP
- Assure that high risk pregnant people and critically ill newborns receive timely access to appropriate medical care without regard to geographic location or ability to pay
- Provide interventions which result in the reduction of infant and maternal deaths and improved medical and developmental outcomes
- Provide support to families who have been impacted by the birth of a critically ill infant
- Assist families in the development of a secure and nurturing environment which will increase their child’s ability to learn and grow
- Connect families with early intervention services which can increase the child’s chances for optimal development and learning
Program Eligibility
- Babies that have spent 120 hours or longer in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit;
- A parent or a baby that is being transported to a higher level of care;
- Babies born and within 96 hours of birth the baby is admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit;
- A baby being transported within 50 miles from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to their home.
Culturally-Sensitive Help for Native Families
The Family Spirit Program is a culturally tailored home-visiting intervention delivered by Native American paraprofessionals as a core strategy to support young Native parents from pregnancy to 3 years postpartum. Parents gain knowledge and skills to achieve optimum development for their preschool age children across the domains of physical, cognitive, social-emotional, language learning, and self-help. The Family Spirit Program consists of 63 lessons to be taught from pregnancy up to the child’s 3rd birthday. This in-home parent training and support program has been designed, implemented, and rigorously evaluated by the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health in partnership with the Navajo, White Mountain Apache, and San Carlos Apache Tribes since 1995.
The Family Spirit Program offers parenting help to Native parents and families. If you are pregnant or a parent to a child under 3 years of age and interested in developing parenting skills, then this program is ideal for you. You will help your child develop emotional resilience and physical well-being. Parents will also learn how to build a strong, healthy family that is connected to your Native heritage.
Benefits of the Family Spirit Program:
- Increase parenting knowledge and skills;
- Address maternal psychosocial risks that could interfere with positive child-rearing (drug and alcohol use; depression; low education and employment; domestic violence problems);
- Promote optimal physical, cognitive, social/emotional development for children from 0 to 3;
- Prepare children for early school success;
- Ensure children get recommended well-child visits and health care;
- Link families to community services to address specific needs; and
- Promote parents’ and children’s life skills and behavioral outcomes across the lifespan.
Eligibility Requirements for the Family Spirit Program:
The Family Spirit Program Curriculum is designed to serve mothers prenatally through to a child’s 3rd birthday. Programs that are working with participants in this age range are eligible to be trained on Family Spirit. Each program will have unique eligibility requirements for implementing the program.
A Parent is a Child’s First Teacher
Your children have so much potential. As a parent, you have a unique opportunity to be their first teacher. That’s because most brain development occurs in the first few years of life, and you can make a difference. Parents As Teachers will show you how. Our Home Visitors will provide you with resources appropriate for your child’s stage of development. Through Parents As Teachers, you’ll develop a stronger relationship with your child and help prepare them for academic success.
Parents as Teachers is a free program for all parents with children younger than 5 years old. Learn how to effectively and meaningfully interact with your child to help them develop intellectually and emotionally and to help you form a deeper relationship and bond with your child.
Benefits of Parents As Teachers:
- This program is evidence-based and proven to work.
- Children who feel safe, healthy, and cared for can thrive.
- We’ll catch possible developmental challenges early on.
- We’ll connect you with a variety of community resources.
- Fun activities will deepen your relationship with your child.
Eligibility Requirements of Parents As Teachers:
- All parents-to-be and parents with children younger than 5 years old.
Parenting Help from Healthcare Professionals
Children don’t come with an instructional guide. So it’s only normal that new parents face challenges and doubt. In times like these, someone is here to help you. Nurse-Family Partnership is a community healthcare program that will connect you with a nurse home visitor. Through the visits, you will learn how you can best care for your child. Our goal is to help you become confident and assured in your parenting skills, so you and your child can look forward to a better future.
Nurse-Family Partnership is a free, evidence-based program designed to help pregnant people become successful, self-reliant parents. Our home visitor nurses start working with first-time parents while they are pregnant to prepare them for the challenges and the joys of parenthood. We help you develop new skills and feel confident in taking care of your child’s physical and emotional needs.
Benefits of Nurse-Family Partnership:
- This is an evidence-based program proven to work.
- We provide you with a variety of free educational resources.
- We build on the parenting skills you already have to help you become self-reliant.
Eligibility Requirements for the Nurse-Family Partnership:
- Prenatal first-time parents less than 28 weeks pregnant.
- Not enrolled in any other home visiting program.
- Income-based requirements based on household size.
Build a Healthy Family by Being a Healthy Parent
Everyone who is having a baby can feel overwhelmed. It’s important to know that it’s ok to ask for help, especially if you’re experiencing a number of challenges. Healthy Families Arizona is a free program that helps mothers and fathers become the best parents they can be. A Home Visitor will get to know you, and connect you with services based on your specific situation. The Home Visitor will work with you as needed throughout the first five years of your child’s life. Our goal is to build on your parenting skills and support you in your desire to make your family stronger.
Healthy Families Arizona is a free program designed to help pregnant people as well as mothers and fathers with their newborn baby and until the child is 2 years old. Our home visitors will help parents build the skills necessary to raise healthy, happy children and create a strong family. Healthy Families Arizona can help you if you feel you experience any barriers or obstacles to successful parenting.
Benefits of Healthy Families Arizona:
- We link families with community resources, health care, childcare, and housing.
- We help parents obtain education and employment.
- We provide child development, nutrition and safety education.
- We teach and support positive parent-child interaction.
- We provide developmental screenings to infants and referrals to resources if developmental delays are identified.
- We provide emotional support and encouragement to parents.
Eligibility Requirements of Healthy Families Arizona:
- Pregnant people and parents of newborns who face challenges that might be an obstacle to successful parenting.
- The infant must be under three months of age at enrollment.
- Mothers or fathers must show that the services are needed.
- The family must reside within the program’s target service area.
Help for Low-Income Pregnant People and Children (age birth to five)
Head Start (for children 3-5) and Early Head Start (pregnant people and children 0-3) has a variety of program and service delivery options including Center Base, Home-Base, Combination (Home & Center) or Family Child Care. Each program incorporates an individualized approach to high-quality services for low-income pregnant people and children age birth to five. Families receive support and guidance from Head Start staff to become self-sufficient.
We understand how challenging it can be to be a parent. Early Head Start is a free parenting program that helps low-income parents and their children with home visits, education, and health screenings. Early Head Start can also help children who are in foster care, children experiencing homelessness, and children with a disability. We offer resources for pregnant people and help for new parents.
Benefits of Early Head Start:
- home visits
- child development education
- health screening and follow-up care
- parenting guidance and education
- services for special needs children
Eligibility requirements of Early Head Start:
- Children between the ages of 0-5 of families that meet the federal poverty guidelines and pregnant people who meet the federal poverty guidelines
- Children who are foster children
- Children who are homeless
- Children who are disabled (have IFSP or IEP)*
Personalized Care for Pregnant People and New Mothers
If you are expecting or a parent facing challenges, it’s important to know that someone can help you. Arizona Health Start is here to help. Our home visitors can connect you with a variety of community organizations that provide health care, education, parenting resources, and application assistance for other programs. We will get to know you and your family, so we can help you get the resources you need. We understand your culture, because we live in your community. We also understand what you’re going through, because we’ve helped families just like yours.
If you are expecting or have a child under the age of 2 and are interested in having additional support in accessing health care, education, or assistance programs, Arizona Health Start can help. The program is available throughout the state and is free for participants. Expecting parents and families with children enrolled in the program receive additional support such as navigating access to prenatal care; family medical care; and assistance in applying for AHCCCS, WIC and other programs that help you and your family thrive.
Benefits of Arizona Health Start:
- You’ll gain access to appropriate prenatal care for pregnant people.
- We provide access to appropriate family medical care.
- We’ll give application assistance for AHCCCS, WIC and other programs.
- Women will receive a health screening.
- We provide developmental screenings for children ages birth to age two.
Eligibility Requirements of Arizona Health Start:
- Must have primary residence located within the Contractor’s Program Site targeted service area.
- Pregnant and/or postpartum women with children under the age of 2.
- And one or more social risk factors.
Build a Healthy Family by Being a Healthy Parent