Child, Home
& Community

Programs

On July 1^st 2017, Child, Home and Community (CHC) merged with Maternity Care Coalition (MCC), bringing two organizations with expertise in maternal and child health together.

CHC’s programming addresses all critical areas needed for parents and their babies to thrive—physically and emotionally—and become healthy and productive members of their communities.

Our programs have four overarching objectives:

CHC seeks to increase the opportunity for healthy births and family stability through effective prenatal education that is targeted developmentally to adolescents.
CHC seeks to encourage pregnant and parenting teens to stay in school and complete their education through parent and career workshops.
Promote excellent child health through education, referrals to community resources, and follow-up services
CHC seeks to equip young parents with the necessary skills to make informed decisions and to develop a career plan for achieving self-sufficiency, including avoidance of repeat pregnancy, through our teen parent education programs.
Provide prevention and healthy decision-making workshops for middle and high school students. This program—typically offered in Health and Child Development classes—provides hands-on learning activities that focus on the costs and life-altering changes that come with an unplanned pregnancy.

School-Based Support/ELECT

Addressing teen parenting issues while the student is in school is vital for a number of reasons, most notably because it plays a significant role in preventing students from dropping out of school. In CHC’s School-Based Programs, young parents meet weekly or biweekly to explore pregnancy, parenting and methods to achieving self-sufficiency. We offer assistance with medical needs, food, clothing and even diapers and formula.

Fatherhood Program

While most programs focus mainly on the needs of mothers, CHC’s Fatherhood Initiative works directly with teenage fathers. Our Fatherhood Coordinator works with students in groups and individually, helping young dads establish paternity, become responsible and caring fathers, and provides them with the resources to obtain work placement to improve job skills. This program is offered through CHC’s School-based ELECT Program.

Education and Career Counseling

CHC’s Road to Independence program assists teen parents in their career development and placement. Our Career Specialist helps students assess their interests and skills, define objectives and plan for life after high school with the goal of securing stable employment at a living wage.

Parenting Education

This program is a classroom excursion into teen pregnancy and parenting for middle and high school Health and Child Development classes. This is an action-oriented program that uses attention-grabbing tools, including the Empathy Belly Pregnancy Simulator:

The students will:

Understand physical and emotional effects of pregnancy and the dramatic challenges of parenting.
Examine how to make informed decisions
Learn about living with the consequences of their decisions
Learn how to counter the impact of peer and relationship pressures that can lead to poor decisions.

Childbirth & Newborn
Care Classes

CHILDBIRTH & NEWBORN CARE PROGRAM

Focus on Motherhood, an 8-week program that prepares young expectant moms and dads for childbirth. Unlike other prenatal programs, Focus on Motherhood is designed to meet the needs of adolescents and young adults, ages 13 to 25. This program is FREE.

The following are some of the topics covered in this program:

Healthy Pregnancy/Healthy Baby
Life Changes for Mom, Dad, and their Families
Labor and Birth
Important Role of the Support Person
Comfort Measures, including Breathing and Relaxation
Medications and Anesthesia
Newborn Care and Infant Feeding
Parenting Together, Future Plans

A minimum of 4 expectant moms is required for the class to be held.

Babysitting 101

Designed for 11-14 year girls and boys who are caring for siblings or neighbors, this 6-hour interactive program is a mix of hands-on activities, classroom participation, lecture and DVD taught by experienced and trained workshop facilitators and healthcare professionals. The cost is $65 per student and all class materials are provided by CHC. We cap this class at 20 so each participant is assured personal attention.

The program includes child care and emergency basics such as:

First Aid and Safety (not including CPR certification)
Diapering
Age-Appropriate Play
Behavioral Challenges

And also covers business topics, including:

Marketing
Setting Pay Rate

Child, Home & Community