Family Home Visiting is a voluntary program that offers extra support, encouragement, and information for families during pregnancy and the early years of parenting. Through home visits, families can connect with a nurse who provides guidance in a comfortable, familiar setting and helps answer questions along the way. *A Family Health Nurse will visit you at home or another location of your choice during your pregnancy and after your baby is born.
Who Can Benefit?
Expecting parents, as well as parents and guardians of children three years old or younger, are eligible for this valuable service. Family Health Nurses offer personalized coaching to strengthen parenting abilities and connect families to community resources that enhance their well-being.
What We Do
- Personalized Support: An experienced Family Health Nurse visits families on a routine basis, using evidence-based curriculum to guide each visit. Together, parents and the nurse set goals that support the family’s needs and aspirations.
- Child Growth and Development: Family Health Nurses can also complete developmental screenings, weight checks, vital signs, and provide breastfeeding support.
- Guidance on Parenting Skills: Visits focus on building strong, positive relationships between parents and children by providing information, resources, and strategies that enhance attachment and reduce stress.
How It Works
A Family Health Nurse will visit you at home or another location of your choice during your pregnancy and after your baby is born. These visits are designed to provide helpful information, guidance, and support as you develop new skills and grow in your parenting role.
Program Goals
Our program is designed to help parents provide the best start for their child by:
- Promoting healthy pregnancies, well-child checkups, immunizations, and child development.
- Building confidence in parenting skills and creating strategies to reduce stress.
- Collaborating with families to set personal and family goals for the future.
- Helping families build a strong support network for both the child and the family.
- Offering age-appropriate activities that promote bonding between parents and children.
Areas of Support
Our Public Health Nurses are trained to assist with a range of parenting needs, including:
- Child Development: Understanding milestones and how to support your child’s growth.
- Parent & Child Health: Guidance on maintaining health during pregnancy and supporting your child’s physical and emotional well-being.
- Baby Feeding, Soothing, and Sleep: Tips and strategies for feeding, calming, and establishing healthy sleep habits.
- Parenting Support: Practical advice and emotional support to help you feel confident in your parenting journey.
Family Home Visiting Programs
Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting (MECSH)
MECSH may be a good fit for individuals who are pregnant, recently had a newborn discharged from the hospital, or would like extra support on their parenting journey.
Kanabec County Community Health offers Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting, also known as MECSH, to support families during pregnancy and early childhood. MECSH is a voluntary, structured home visiting program that provides regular nurse visits during pregnancy, after birth, and through a child’s second birthday at no cost.
The program helps families build confidence, make healthy decisions, and receive guidance specific to their needs. Nurses can answer questions, connect families with community services, and provide information on pregnancy, birth choices, feeding and caring for your baby, child development, and communication with your baby.
Universal Baby Visits
Universal Baby Visits are a free home visit for families with a new baby, usually when the baby is 4–6 weeks old. This voluntary visit provides support between scheduled clinic appointments and gives families a chance to ask questions, receive guidance, and connect with helpful resources.
During the visit, a Family Nurse can check the baby’s weight and measurements, provide breastfeeding or formula feeding support, offer postpartum emotional support, and discuss nutrition, umbilical cord care, circumcision care, diapering, and bathing.
Families can also be connected with community resources such as WIC, Early Childhood Family Education, Head Start, certified lactation counselors, the Car Seat Program, financial support, Family Home Visiting, and the Follow Along Program.
Kanabec County Community Health Referral Form
To learn more, contact Kanabec County Community Health at 320-679-6330 or fill out this short information request form. We’d love to hear from you!