Home Visiting Program

Being a parent is hard work. Your Home Visitor will help you understand your child's development and connect you to community resources, if needed, to make the best choices for your family.

Home Visitors offer personal visits customized for the needs of your family.PAT logo

Parents as Teachers children are healthy, safe and ready to learn.

  • They are healthier.
  • They score higher on kindergarten readiness tests.
  • They are better problem solvers.
  • They are more advanced in language and social development.

Be a Parents as Teachers parent!

Be more involved in your child's development and education.

Connect with your child through play and reading time.

Be confident in your role as a parent.

A grant from the Affordable Care Act was awarded to the Lake County Public Health Home Visiting Program. This grant enabled our staff to be trained in the evidence-based model called Parents as Teachers and are now Certified Parents as Teachers Parent Educators. We have implemented this program into all our visits and are excited to share this curriculum with our clients.

Our Home Visitors provide information and referrals on a wide variety of interests to all families in our community. The program targets engaging caregivers in health-enhancing behaviors. Through the program, services are provided to families or caregivers, children in need of services due to health or developmental concerns, and helps to establish and maintain a supportive environment. When visits are in the home we can help our clients by pointing out ways they can use their environment for their own - and their children's - benefit.

Studies show that home visiting programs have positive results for families. These benefits range from reduced risk of pre-term labor, reductions in infant mortality, and better cognitive and mental health for children and their parents. By increasing our services to pregnant women and families with infants, we hope to give prevention and health education at the earliest point possible, before a child is born. Studies have shown a child will be more successful in school and in their life if they have had a Home Visitor. For more information, call Lake County Public Health at 406-883-7288.

PAT Referral Form

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Pregnant Women

Home Visitors are available to help women:

  • Access health care and community services
  • Follow through with her pregnancy
  • With nutrition information and self-care
  • Recognize signs and symptoms of pre-term labor or other health issues
  • Prepare for labor and delivery
  • Help the family prepare for a new baby

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Mothers

After delivery, a Home Visitor continues to serve the family. We can offer assistance with:

  • Breastfeeding
  • Support any new moms who are formula feeding, working with them to make sure it enhances the development of the child
  • General questions
  • A post-partum follow up with the new mom to ensure she is recovering and taking good care of herself
  • Post-Partum support and information for women experiencing emotional difficulties after pregnancy
  • A discussion on "Why Dads Matter"

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Newborns

Newborns are fascinating people. Home Visitors help the family discover all the wonderful things the new baby is able to do by providing:

  • Information on caring for the new baby
  • Answers to any questions or concerns about sleeping, crying, feeding, and loving the new member of the family
  • Ideas on coping with the stress of parenting in healthy ways
  • Ways to build a secure attachment to the new baby
  • Suggestions for safe sleep for baby and mom
  • Car seat installation and information

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Children

As the baby grows, the Home Visitor provides regular screenings that help parents identify how their child is growing, including:

  • Regular growth and development evaluations
  • Assistance with special health care needs and referral services if developmental concerns are identified
  • Guidance on parenting and healthy discipline
  • Information on helping your child handle feelings
  • Suggestions for fun things to do with their children to help in all areas of development including social skills, language development and physical development

Family Group Connection

Family group connection is a group of families and friends who meet once a month. Topics are decided by the group and snacks and books are always provided to take home. Some activities have included: Mother's Day crafts, Family Yoga, Thanksgiving crafts, Earth Day painting flowerpots and planting seeds, baby massage, Halloween costume party, Head Over Heels fun day, and many more throughout the years.