Healthy Beginnings
The Healthy Beginnings program expands home visiting services to vulnerable, high risk mothers and families and will embed child development specialists into well-child visits from the child's 0 - 3 years to support all parents (with or without previously identified risk factors).
Chelsea residents who are patients of MGH Chelsea Pediatrics will be automatically connected to Healthy Beginnings Child Development Specialists, as well-child visits are scheduled between the ages of 0 - 3. High risk patients of other Pediatric providers can be referred to the child development specialist through Dr. Rebecca Cronin, the clinical supervisor of the program. Referrals of high-risk, Chelsea-resident patients for home visiting services are coordinated here as well.
Chelsea ranks fourth in Massachusetts for low birth weight, infant mortality, high teen pregnancies and indicators of poor maternal and child health outcomes. This new program, the result of a DPH grant awarded to MGH Chelsea's Community Health Improvement and Pediatrics, will both expand home visiting services to vulnerable, high risk mothers and families and will embed child development specialists into well-child visits from the child's 0 - 3 years to support all parents (with or without previously identified risk factors).
In 2012:
- Healthy Beginnings served 111 families; 68% of families were Latino; 26% were born in El Salvador, 13% in the United State, 11% in Honduras, 11% in Somalia, 39% were born in other countries.
- 91% of Healthy Beginnings staff report observing positive interactions between parent and baby; 75% of encounters between Healthy Beginnings staff and families focused on Child Development and Developmental Milestones.
- 89% of participants report reading, singing or telling stories to their child 4-7 days a week.
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Healthy Beginnings staff were present at 84% of Well Child Visits, 75% of encounters between Healthy Beginnings staff and families focused on Child Development and Developmental Milestones.
