Healthcare Providers
Parenting is easier when families know what to expect, from teething to gaining independence as a teen.
Seeing people when they’re feeling their worst is hard, but it gives you a special role to play in offering help.
What can you do?
You meet one of the biggest concrete needs a parent has: health care.
It’s not just about physical health - you can also make sure that families take care of their mental health and need for social connections.
Help expecting parents.
Let them know about First5’s New Parent Kit which they should receive through their OB provider.
Learn how to screen for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
Screen, treat, and heal your patients by understanding the science of toxic stress with ACEs Aware.
Offer community resources to new mothers - or use those resources to find out more yourself.
Postpartum Support International provides training to providers in pregnancy support and post-partum depression as well as offering direct support to women and families.
Suggest community resources to help families even after they leave your office.
Family Resource Center of the Redwoods and Del Norte Child Care Council both offer parenting support, classes, and playgroups.
Help keep children safe in times of crisis.
Safe Families for Children temporarily hosts children and provide a network of support to families in crisis while they get back on their feet.
Normalize infant crying that can frustrate new parents.
Help prevent shaken-baby syndrome by finding out more about normal infant crying and how it can overwhelm parents at The Period of Purple Crying website.
Talk about intimate partner violence with your patients.
One in four women and one in seven men in the U.S. have experienced IPV, and health care providers play a key role in supporting healthy relationships. Find out more at Futures Without Violence’s IPV Health website.
Connect patients with county support systems.
Del Norte County Maternal Child Health offers resources to help women enroll in Medi-Cal; support during and after pregnancy from public health nurses; and Healthy Families America, a free family support and parent education home visiting program.
Parenting is challenging at times (and sometimes very often) – for all parents.
Acknowledging this and offering support goes a long way. Offer resources, such as First5 Del Norte and Parenting Now!