New initiative to provide free home nursing visits for all families of newborns in Winnebago County
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A new countywide initiative aims to improve maternal and newborn health with free home visits from a public health nurse to check on the baby’s health and connect families to local resources.
The program, called Winning Start Winnebago, connects families who are planning a pregnancy, expecting a baby, or parenting a newborn with the visiting services and resources to support healthy pregnancies, child development and family bonding.
Starting in July, every newborn and their family will be welcomed with a visit from a public health nurse.
“The visits will reach all families of newborns including foster, adopted and bereaved parents,” said Sandra Martell, public health administrator for the Winnebago County Health Department. “It does not matter where you deliver and where you receive prenatal care. If you reside in Winnebago County, you will receive a home visit.”
The Winnebago County Health Department and Alignment Rockford along with officials from the Illinois Department of Public Health and other partnering agencies, filled the theater at Discovery Center Museum on Monday to announce the launch of the program.
It is funded by a $300,000 grant from the state as part of Gov. JB Pritzker’s birth equity initiative. Grants were awarded to community-based efforts with the potential to help populations with historically higher risk for adverse birth outcomes.
The program will also provide more families with access to birthing support from certified doulas, and the Winnebago County Health Department is working to increase the number of certified doulas through a scholarship training program.
The program here is designed to build off the work of other maternal, infant and early childhood partners such as Brightpoint, Easterseals, Rockford Public Schools, Early Head Start, YWCA – La Voz Latina and the Harlem School District.
“In Winnebago County we recognize that investing in our youngest residents and in the families that raise them is foundational to help the future of our community,” said Emily Klonicki, executive director of Alignment Rockford. “Winning Start Winnebago is what it looks like when the community asks first about their children.”
The goal is to identify early risks and facilitate access to care, as well as provide education and support to families. The model chosen for newborn home visits, Family Connects International, has proven successful in the other communities, said Jillisa Bondurant, early childhood mental health and data project manager for Alignment Rockford.
Communities that have implemented the model saw child emergency room visits and overnight hospital stays drop by 50% for babies through age 12 months. Those visits and stays were reduced by 37% through age 2, according to a study from a group of Duke University professors. For every dollar spent on the program, the study showed the costs savings was $3.17 in total hospital bills.
“In addition to these benefits, parents of these communities have shared that their homes had more materials and support for infant learning and development and increased connections to community resources,” Bondurant said.
Connect | Winning Start Winnebago
To connect with Winning Start Winnebago for services, go HERE.
To apply for a Doula Development Program scholarship, go HERE.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
