The Maternal and Child Health Center provides culturally sensitive integrated services for women before, during, and after pregnancy. Services are delivered by community health workers, at hospitals, homes, virtually, by telephone, or any other comfortable setting.
PROGRAMS
Comadrona Program
- The Comadrona program offers culturally competent home visitation services, health education, advocacy, and support services to pregnant women and their families, to improve pregnancy outcomes and reduce incidence of prematurity and low birth weight.
- Community Health Workers conduct comprehensive assessments, and care plans are developed in partnership with participants to address a wide range of needs, including health care, psychosocial health, educational, childcare, nutritional, and other social determinants of health impacting them.
- Trained community health workers promote positive pregnancy outcomes and nutritional support for both mother and baby during and after pregnancy. The program serves pregnant women, infants, and children up to two years of age who reside in the Greater Hartford area.
Family Wellness Healthy Start (FWHS)
The FWHS is a federal program seeking to improve women’s and family health and wellness, reduce disparities in low birth weight and decrease the incidence of infant mortality among high-risk women.
- Promoting adequate prenatal care, and positive health habits
- Reducing barriers to healthcare coverage and access
- Enabling family’s empowerment
- Supporting and obtaining basic needs
- Promoting health education (nutrition, child’s well-care and safety, breastfeeding, SIDS, car-seat safety, psychosocial health)
- Promoting perinatal health
Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride ™
- The Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride™ (BHP) program is an evidence-based, person-centered, peer support counseling program. It is a community health worker-led intervention seeking to increase breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity among low-income, minority women.
- BHP Peer Counselors are women from the community who have successfully breastfed and are trained to provide education and hands-on support in clinical and community settings to women who are interested in breastfeeding.
- The program provides a comprehensive model of community and hospital based breastfeeding promotion and support. This program was recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as an evidence based best practice model.
Stronger Families, Stronger Futures
- The program provides home visiting services for pregnant women and families with young children (0-5 years old). The program provides parenting skills and tools to support children’s healthy development
- The program also supports families to access adequate healthcare, addresses basic needs, and provides them with financial management education to support the entire family’s wellbeing
Community Doula
- The program provides culturally competent home and clinical visit services, support, and health education to families during pregnancy, labor, and early postpartum in order to enhance maternal health outcomes in communities of color.
- Trained Community Doulas conduct comprehensive assessments, and care plans are developed in partnership with families to identify maternal health goals related to the labor experience, comfort measures, breastfeeding, and other related areas.