Family Home Visiting

Family home visiting (FHV) is a voluntary, no-charge service offered to families starting early in pregnancy and continuing through the first two years of a child’s life. FHV

Family home visiting (FHV) is a voluntary, no-charge service offered to families starting early in pregnancy and continuing through the first two years of a child’s life. FHV promotes optimal health and wellbeing for pregnant individuals, caregivers, infants, and children. Home visits are provided by a public health nurse, who meets with individuals and families to provide support and share information and resources. Nurses can also offer physical assessments for the birthing parent and infant, breast/chest feeding support, as well as a variety of other health screenings.

Here at St. Louis County Public Health, we have three family home visiting programs available. We recognize that no two families are the same and will help you to find the right program to fit your family’s needs and interests. Learn more about each program by reading the sections below, or click the link HERE to watch this video.

To place a referral for family home visiting services, complete the form below.

Family Home Visiting Referral

Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting (MECSH)

Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting (MECSH) is an evidence-based program aimed at providing additional sustained support for families with new babies. The MECSH model supports:

Positive transitions to parenting.
Positive parenting skills.
Future-oriented and aspirational thinking.
Mobilization of resources.
Healthy relationships.

To learn more about the MECSH model, click HERE.

Universal Home Visiting

Universal Home Visiting provides social, emotional, health-related, and parenting support and information for families and links families with appropriate resources. Families enrolled in Universal Home Visiting may receive:

Connections and referrals for prenatal care.
Early support to parents in their role as a child’s first teacher.
Help in creating a safe and healthy environment for a young child to thrive in.
Parenting skills and support.

NorthStar Families: Substance Use, Recovery, and Family

NorthStar Families is an add-on service to both our MECSH and Universal Home Visiting programs and is specific for families who may be struggling with substance use disorder or are in the spectrum of recovery. We work together with families to promote recovery and decrease the effects of substance use while pregnant and/or parenting young children. Our public health nurses partner with licensed alcohol and drug counselors (LADCs) to provide extra support and resources for families. Click HERE to learn more about NorthStar Families.

HOPE Group

Here at St. Louis County Public Health, we recognize that during pregnancy and after birth, there can be a rollercoaster of emotions for families. The Healing, Outreach, and Perinatal Encouragement (HOPE) Group offers a safe environment to navigate those emotions. HOPE is a peer support group focused on the mental wellbeing of parents who have recently given birth. Hosted by our Public Health Nurses, HOPE is an opportunity for individuals to tell their story, hear others’ stories, and heal alongside fellow new parents, regardless of if someone has a formal medical diagnosis of postpartum depression or anxiety. Check out the brochure HERE to learn more about the HOPE group. If you’d like to hear more and find out how to attend our next meeting, complete the form below, and one of our nurses will contact you with additional information.

HOPE Group Interest Form