When FLOURISH spoke to families in our community, many mentioned how valuable home visiting programs have been in helping them through pregnancy and parenting. Because they are so influential, four of FLOURISH’s action teams (prenatal care, infant health, behavioral health, and health communication and navigation) have identified home visiting programs as critical to improving outcomes for women and infants in St. Louis.
“We have a number of home visitation programs that work with families throughout St. Louis,” said Rose Anderson-Rice, chief program director of Generate Health. “FLOURISH is bringing all these organizations to one table to understand who they are reaching and what services they provide, so we can identify where gaps exist and find resources to fill those gaps.”
In home visiting programs, trained home visitors – nurses, educators or community health workers – check in on the well-being of families in their own home. These visits focus on promoting maternal, infant and child health, identifying developmental delays, fostering school readiness, and preventing child abuse and neglect. When families participate in home visiting, they are often healthier, better prepared for school, safer and more self-sufficient.
If you are a provider of home visiting, a parent who has participated in a home visiting program, a funder of a home visiting program, or a legislator interested in allocating funding in this area, we need to hear from you. Contact randersonrice@generatehealthstl.org to join the conversation.
