Attention Parents: Would you like a guide to help you know what to watch for as your young child grows? Would you like ideas of fun things that you can do to help your child get off to a great start in life?
Click on the link to download our Welcome Home Baby book (English) or Welcome Home Baby Book (Spanish). If you click on the “Bookmark” icon on the left, you can go to particular sections.
All parents have questions, and all parents need support. A Welcome Home Baby nurse will come to your home at a convenient time to answer your questions and help you get the support you need to give your baby a great start in life. All Welcome Home Baby nurses are maternal/child health RN’s with experience in helping parents care for their newborn babies and excellent knowledge of community resources.
Who is eligible for Welcome Home Baby?
- All first-time parents and parents ages 25 and younger who live in Kent County.
- There is no cost to families who choose to participate in Welcome Home Baby.
How do I sign up for Welcome Home Baby?
- If you have your baby at Metro Health, Saint Mary’s or Spectrum Health, someone will talk with you in the hospital to explain Welcome Home Baby, answer your questions about the program and schedule a time for a nurse to visit you in your home.
- If you have your baby at home or in a hospital outside of Kent County, call the Welcome Home Baby office at 616-632-1001 to schedule a nurse visit.
- Adoptive and foster parents also can call the Welcome Home Baby office to schedule a nurse visit.
What can I expect when the nurse visits me in my home?
- Your nurse will come at a convenient time and day that you have scheduled with the Welcome Home Baby staff.
- Your nurse will weigh your baby and check his or her general health.
- Your nurse will answer your questions about everything from breastfeeding to where to look for quality child care.
- Your nurse will talk with you about community services that are available to families with young children and, if desired, help you select the services that best meet your families wants and needs.
- Your nurse will help connect you and your baby to your medical home. Welcome Home Baby can provide transportation to your baby’s first check up, if needed.
- You will receive a Welcome Home Baby gift bag that includes a DVD with tips on how to soothe your baby, a thermometer, a children’s book from the local library and a guide to help you learn more about your child’s development.
What happens after the Welcome Home Baby visit?
- If you asked your nurse to connect you to community services, you will receive information about enrollment.
- 30 days after your visit, someone from Welcome Home Baby will call you to see how you and your family are doing. If you would like any services or support at that time, she can discuss your needs and link you to helpful resources.
- You will receive a client survey in the mail. Please take a few minutes to fill it out. We are very interested in feedback so that we can better serve families in our community.
If you would like to sign up for Welcome Home Baby, please call 632-1001.
If you have questions about Welcome Home Baby, please contact Program Director Maureen Kirkwood at mkirkwood@irststepskent.org or Clinical Manager Bonnie Rencher at brencher@firststepskent.org.