Search Results: MCHLine

Annotation: This brief highlights considerations, challenges, and opportunities for foundations in investing in supports for pregnant and parenting adolescents and young adults—both mothers and fathers—currently in or transitioning from foster care. Topics include early sexual behavior, pregnancy, and rates of childbearing and parenthood among young people in foster care, risk factors, and challenging outcomes. Additional challenges such as lack of national data on specific needs and challenges, lack of practice models, need for workforce training, how to best identify and support adolescent fathers, and limited application of developmentally appropriate service delivery and planning with those that remain in foster care through age 21 are discussed. Investment opportunities in research and data collection, pregnancy prevention strategies, state supports for young parents and their children, and extending eligibility and re-entry are outlined.

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Keywords: Adolescent parents, Adolescents, Family support programs, Foster care, Parent support services, Transition to independent living, Young adults

Annotation: This guide provides information and guidance for working with pregnant and parenting youth, helping them as they develop both as individuals and as parents through positive casework interactions. The guide encourages a strengths-based approach to ensure the safety of both young parents and their children. It offers suggestions for engaging young parents in conferencing and supportive services while highlighting the importance of maintaining a young parent’s right to privacy and autonomy, and emphasize comprehensive planning for pregnant young people to promote well being, to minimize the need for court intervention, to ensure placement stability and to help young families move more quickly toward permanency. The guide is designed to be used primarily by provider agency case planners, but may also be useful to child protective staff, Family Services Unit staff, parent advocates, attorneys and others who work with this vulnerable population. Topics in planning and services for young parents in out of home care include: legal issues, father participation, collaborative planning and permanency, preventive services, child safety conferences, court intervention, pregnancy-related services, medical home visiting programs, parenting supports, counseling and mental health services, education, child care, and preparing a young parent for leaving foster care. Appendices provide resources for services in adolescent reproductive health, breastfeeding, the WIC program, support services and assistance, teen father support, mentoring and mental health, housing support, legal information, education, hoe visiting, and parenting education programs. Tips sheets are provided on mandatory reporting, early care and education, public housing, and transitional Medicaid.

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Keywords: Adolescent parents, Adolescents, Child welfare, Family support services, Foster care, New York, Out of home care, Parent education, Social services, State initiatives, Youth in transition programs

Annotation: This document presents guidelines for what the health care team should do in caring for late preterm infants and for specific education to be provided to the families of these infants. The guidelines are divided into four sections: (1) in-hospital assessment and care, (2) transition to outpatient care, (3), short-term follow-up care, and (4) long-term follow-up care. Within each section, the guidelines are further subdivided into four subsections: (1) stability, (2) screening, (3) safety, and (4) support. Each guideline includes recommendations for the health care team and for family education. It closes with a list of collaborative partners and endorsing organizations.

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Keywords: Education, Families, Guidelines, Health care, Health services, Hospital services, Parent support services, Premature infants, Preterm birth, Safety, Screening

Annotation: This guide describes strategies schools can take to increase parent engagement in promoting positive health behaviors among students. Contents include parent engagement in schools, how the strategies were developed, why parent engagement in schools is important, and how school staff can increase parent engagement in school health. The guide includes examples of ways school staff can connect with parents, provide parent support, communicate with parents, provide volunteer opportunities, support learning at home, encourage parents to be part of decision making at school, and collaborate with the community. Solutions for common challenges to sustaining parent engagement are also discussed.

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Keywords: Communication, Family centered services, Family school relations, Parent participation, Parent support services, Parents, School health, Strategic planning

Annotation: This document is a source of information and guidance for case planners in New York City in their work with parenting youth and youth planning for the arrival of their baby in foster care, and in developing appropriate service plans for these youth. It discusses roles for agency case planners in referring both expecting mothers and fathers of health and support systems, discussing the role of resource parents for minors who are expecting, securing a stable placement for expecting youth before baby arrives, as well as developing and executing permanency plans for young parents in out-of-home care. Additional information is provided on health care testing and decision-making, legal aspects of pregnancy and parenting, and understanding funding for baby's essential needs. A practice guide summary is included along with resources for community based services, housing and child care, child welfare services, medical mentoring for pregnant and parenting youth, and prevention services.

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Keywords: Adolescent parents, Adolescents, Child welfare, Family support services, Foster care, New York, Out of home care, Parent education, Social services, State initiatives, Youth in transition programs

Annotation: This brief presents findings about the potential impact of the service system on improving children's readiness for school from a longitudinal study of a sample of families at high risk living in targeted geographic areas that have higher-than-average rates of child maltreatment, crime, and other related factors that affect school readiness. The brief describes characteristics that are likely to influence children's school readiness, presents findings related to families' use of a range of formal services during their children's early years, and looks at the relationship between these factors and one indicator of children's readiness for school—scores on the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screen.

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Keywords: Child abuse, Child neglect, Communities, Crime, Early childhood development, Families, Family support services, Health services, High risk groups, Low income groups, Maltreated children, Parent support services, Research, Risk factors, School readiness, Service delivery systems, Young children

Annotation: This white paper provides an overview of how the nation's Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) support parents in finding and selecting quality care for their families as well as other services offered to parents. It discusses the need for consumer education about state policies concerning child care requirements; addresses the challenges that parents face in selecting quality child care; and describes the array of resources and services provided by CCR&Rs. The paper also describes how Child Care Aware of America supports the work of CCR&Rs, and summarizes the results of its nationwide parenting poll.

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Keywords: Child care, Child care services, Guidelines, Parent support services, Referrals, Resource centers

Annotation: This fact sheet provides information about programs that work and do not work to improve outcomes for adolescent parents with low incomes and their children. The fact sheet reviews 20 parenting programs that are geared toward enhancing parents' development, educating them about effective parenting methods, or both. The fact sheet introduces the issue and reports findings for programs in six outcome areas: child outcomes: health; child outcomes: behaviors and development; parent outcomes: reproductive health; parent outcomes: mental health and behaviors; parent outcomes: education, employment, and income; and parenting outcomes. Promising approaches and future research needs are also discussed.

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Keywords: Adolescent attitudes, Adolescent behaviors, Adolescent development, Adolescent health, Adolescent parents, Child development Parent support programs, Child health, Education, Employment, Family income, High risk groups, Low income groups, Mental health, Parent support services, Parenting skills, Reproductive health, Research

Annotation: This community action guide describes the experiences of a woman and her infant daughter to point out resources that service providers, advocates, and health professionals can use to better understand and respond to the needs of families and children with problems related to mental health, substance abuse, and trauma. The guide also presents information, resources, and tips to foster unified communities that are responsive to families' needs. Topics include the importance of the birth-to-age-5 developmental stage, threats to resilience, levels of stress in young children and families, protective factors, a strategic framework for action, and moving forward. Brief descriptions of successful programs are included.

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Keywords: Advocacy, Children, Community programs, Domestic violence, Families, Family support services, High risk groups, Infants, Mental health, Parent support services, Resilience, Resource materials, Stress, Substance abuse, Vulnerability, Young children

Annotation: This report describes activities the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) undertook in 2012 to improve the health of U.S. adolescents. The report describes OAH's goals, objectives, strategies, and action steps; Goals include (1) lead national grant programs to prevent adolescent pregnancy and support pregnant and parenting adolescents and women; (2) expand evidence of what works to reduce health risk among adolescents and to effect positive adolescent development; (3) lead adolescent health policy, practice, and program development; (4) promote, communicate, and disseminate accurate information on the full range of issues related to adolescent health to multiple audiences; and (5) increase OAH's capacity to achieve optimal performance and document accomplishments.

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Keywords: Adolescent development, Adolescent health, Adolescent pregnancy, Adolescent sexuality, Federal agencies, Parent support services, Pregnant women, Prevention, Programs, Public policy, Strategic plans

Annotation: This report outlines existing challenges and promising practices in supporting pregnant and parenting adolescents and summarizes the discussions and suggestions of national experts in the field. Topics include promising practices in reaching, engaging and retaining pregnant and parenting teens; effective program components when working with pregnant and parenting teens; and concrete examples for implementing those core components.

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Keywords: Adolescent parents, Adolescent pregnancy, Family support services, Model programs, Parent education programs, Pregnant adolescents

Annotation: In this video, parents and health professionals share their stories of success in working with the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality's Autism Collaborative project and using quality-improvement techniques to improve the care of children with autism. The video also provides information about autism and about the program. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Audiovisual materials, Access to health care, Autism, Autistic children, Collaboration, Families, Family support programs, Family support services, Health care services, Parents, Programs, Service coordination, Videos

Annotation: This book provides information for parents and other caregivers who have lost a child to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Topics include a definition of SIDS, perspectives from experts, a brief review of research into a diagnostic test, a history of SIDS, and accounts by parents of their experiences. Additional topics include dealing with guilt and anger; grieving and bereavement; the grief of fathers, other siblings, and grandparents; the loss of an infant at the childcare provider's; advice for friends of parents who have lost an infant; planning a funeral and the role of the clergy; advice on grieving and moving forward; dealing with anniversaries and holidays; advice on peer contact and professional help; emergency medical responders and the authorities; and a subsequent baby and the question of home monitoring. Additional information is provided on guilt and risk reduction; dreams and premonitions; and more stories and poems from the experience of losing an infant. The appendices include national and international organizations that provide information, counseling, research data, and grants on SIDS and related topics as well as a bibliography and a suggested reading list. The 3rd edition is available in Spanish.

Keywords: Bereavement, Child care, Clergy, Consumer education materials, Family support, Grandparents, Grief, Home monitoring, Infant death, Parent support services, Parents, Risk assessment, SIDS, Siblings, Spanish language materials

Annotation: This issue brief provides an overview of the newly established Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, describes existing approaches to home visitation, and discusses the implications of federal funding for state and local practices.

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Keywords: Federal MCH programs, Home visiting, Infant health, Mothers, Newborn infants, Parent support services, Program descriptions

Annotation: This archived webinar, broadcast July 13, 2011, discusses issues surrounding postpartum and perinatal depression (PPD) and the impact on the health and well-being of mothers and their infant's neurobiological development. Topics include how underreported or underdiagnosed PPD is; varying levels of severity including healthy rebound, "baby blues", diagnosed perinatal depression, postpartum bi-polar disorder, and the rare postpartum psychosis. Topics also include maternal stresses due to lacks of sleep/exhaustion, depression stigma, previous psychological or medical histories, post-traumatic stress from unexpected C-section or adverse pregnancy or birth outcomes, partner or violence abuse, and financial stresses. Social risk factors for depression such as multiple births or feeling of isolation are also discussed. Resources are discussed including model state programs, online resources, proposed legislation, and the importance of establishing local postpartum depression networks and support services.

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Keywords: Bonding, Early childhood development, Hotlines, Infant health, Maternal mental health, Mother child relations, Parent support services, Parenting, Perinatal care, Postnatal care, Postpartum depression, Resources for professionals

Annotation: These fact sheets provide parents with information about children of different ages and tips on what child care programs will be working on based on the child's age. Ages include 2-, 4-, 6-, 12- and 18-months; as well as years 2, 3, and 4. Each handout includes topics such as partnerships, nutrition, physical health, physical and social development, child guidance, and preventing illness. Handouts also give tips for healthy active living at home, and questions to ask the child's pediatrician. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Child development, Developmental stages, Infants, Nutrition, Parent child relations, Parent support services, Young children

Annotation: This tip sheet outlines the many reasons foster children and youth struggle to develop trust, including trauma or ambiguous or unresolved loss or grief. The tip sheet also includes advice for parents working with their foster or adoptive children on building trust, personal stories from children in foster care, and a list of resources and links.

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Keywords: Child behavior, Foster children, Parent child relations, Parent support services, Trust

Annotation: This PowerPoint-based training curriculum, which is designed to be taught by a mental health professional along with foster parents as co-facilitators, includes nine case studies of representative foster children ages 8 months to 15 years, as well as of secondary traumatic stress in parents. The goal of the curriculum is to help parents understand the link between trauma and their children's often baffling behavior, feelings, and attitudes and to provide parents with tools to help children move forward, to recognize and reduce the impact of their children's traumas on themselves, and to seek useful support from others. It includes a facilitator's guide, a participant's guide, and a slide kit.

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Keywords: Adolescent attitudes, Adolescent behavior, Case studies, Child abuse, Child attitudes, Child behavior, Child neglect, Curricula, Families, Family support, Foster children, Foster parents, Infant behavior, Mental health, Parent support services, Parenting skills, Training, Trauma

Annotation: This brief describes the benefits of a home visiting program in providing information and services to new parents and families throughout pregnancy and their child's first three years. Topics include the importance of prenatal care, safe and stable housing, counseling for tobacco or substance abuse, domestic violence prevention, as well as advice on building positive, loving relationships with their children.

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Keywords: Counseling, Domestic violence, Families, Family support services, Home visiting, Parent child relations, Pregnant women, Prenatal care, Prevention services, Substance abuse prevention

Annotation: This paper presents findings from a survey of parents of children from birth through age 3 that was designed to explore the issues and challenges that parents of young children confront; gaps in knowledge about early childhood development; sources of information and support to which parents turn; factors that influence parents' approaches to parenting; parents' perceptions of experiences that influence social, emotional, and cognitive child development; and parents' expectations for reaching developmental milestones. Three vignettes depicting parents' interpretations of child behavior and how they would react are also included.

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Keywords: Child behavior, Community programs, Early childhood development, Infant development, Infants, Parent support programs, Parent support services, Parenting skills, Parents, Young children