Mountain States Early Head Start and Kaniksu Land Trust are partnering together with support from Bonner General and Kaniksu Health Services to provide free prenatal/postpartum classes to women in Bonner County.
Blue Cross of Idaho awarded a $40,000 grant to Mountain States Early Head Start to support and improve maternal and infant health to women in Bonner County by piloting several intervention services.
In collaboration with Kaniksu Land Trust, not available in the area previously, prenatal and postpartum support groups will be offered, as well as the Circle of Security (c) parenting program. The work will be completed by Mountain States Early Head Start, a program of Jannus, Inc. as outlined in our grant application.
Expected Outcomes Include:
Prenatal Support Group Outcomes:
• 8-week prenatal support group registers 20-40 women
• Mothers feel better prepared for childbirth and motherhood, feel supported and increase knowledge of health promoting strategies
• Groups will focus on the needs and concerns presented by participants and will also address physical and mental health during and after pregnancy, building resilience through peer support and self-care strategies, adjustment to parenthood, supporting healthy parent/infant attachment, adult and infant nutrition and activity, and safe infant care
Postpartum Support Group Outcomes:
• 8-week postpartum support group registers 20-40 women
• Mothers increase self-care practices, improve nutrition and exercise, recognize signs of postpartum depression and use strategies for effective coping; mothers increase skills to promote healthy parent/child attachment and optimal child development. Both groups will report stress reduction and increased physical activity
• Groups will focus on the needs and concerns presented by participants and will also address physical and mental health during and after pregnancy, building resilience through peer support and self-care strategies, adjustment to parenthood, supporting healthy parent/infant attachment, adult and infant nutrition and activity, and safe infant care 3
Circle of Security® Outcomes:
• Mothers will increase knowledge and skills to support infant self-regulation, increase their reflective capacity and the ability to regulate their own emotions; mothers increase confidence and decrease anxiety about parenting.
Partners for a Healthy Baby© Outcomes:
• Two staff satisfactorily completes train-the-trainer in PFHB this September
• Practitioners who participate in training increase knowledge of strategies to support maternal health
• Deliver Partners for a Healthy Baby© Professional Development training in February to our community, targeting 30 participants
• Increased community-wide coordination and referrals among service providers are documented
Walking Groups
• Kaniksu will consult on the project to bring the Baby Walking Group to all groups and facilitate three weekly walking groups throughout the year; they will participate in an evaluation and cross train MSEHS staff and encourage participation throughout the pilot.
Support Group
• Following the 8-week CoS series, participants will be invited to attend 4 additional meetings for dialogue and support as they implement their new skills
For more information on this program call Mountain States Early Head Start
at 208-263-2569.
