Early Intervention and Support for At-Risk Families | AHRQ Innovations Exchange

Early Intervention and Support for At-Risk Families | AHRQ Innovations Exchange



Early Intervention and Support for At-Risk Families

Low-income, pregnant women often do not receive adequate prenatal care, leading to poor outcomes. First-time mothers in low-income communities may also lack necessary support and resources to help care for themselves and their children and to access health care. Connecting at-risk women and families to care and other services in the community before and after a child’s birth can help improve outcomes.

The featured Innovations describe three programs that provided personalized support and education for low-income or at-risk families of newborns. The programs include one that performed in-home risk assessments; another that provided home visits to low-income, first-time mothers to improve pregnancy outcomes and children’s health; and a third that offered women and their families services appropriate for each stage of the childbearing cycle: pregnancy, post partum, early childhood, and between pregnancies.

The featured QualityTools include resources to help States identify families and children at risk; resources to help facilitate the care of premature infants and improve outcomes; and a risk calculator for policymakers to estimate how many young children in their State face selected risk factors associated with poor health, school, and developmental outcomes.

Featured Innovations:

•  Home Visit for All Newborns To Assess Risk of Child Maltreatment Improves Parenting Skills, Reduces Medical Emergencies, and Generates Positive Return on Investment

•  Nurse Home Visits Improve Birth Outcomes, Other Health and Social Indicators for Low-Income, First-Time Mothers and Their Children

•  Urban Healthy Start Program Offers Support at Each Stage of Childbearing Cycle, Leading to Fewer Low- and Very Low–Birthweight Babies 
with Expert Commentary

Featured QualityTools:

• Identifying Children and Families at Risk
Developed by Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) Program; National Academy for State Health Policy

• Toolkit for the Follow-Up Care of the Premature Infant
Developed by MedImmune; National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality

• Young Child Risk Calculator
Developed by National Center for Children in Poverty