Services

Family Connections


Empowering pregnant and parenting families to develop nurturing
relationships and connections within the community.

Serving families since 1996!

Family Connections Information

Generously supported by:
Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa, Winnebago Empowerment, Worth, Hancock &
Cerro Gordo County Empowerment and Prevent Child Abuse Iowa.

What is Family Connections?
The Iowa counties of Worth, Winnebago, Hancock and Cerro Gordo have come together in a collaborative effort to provide a comprehensive home visitation and resource program for pregnant and parenting families with children under the age of kindergarden.

Prenatal home visitors are registered nurses and trained staff with a variety of backgrounds, education and training.

Mission Statement:
Empowering pregnant and parenting families to develop nurturing relationships and connections within the community.

What does Family Connections do?
Family Connections provides:

  • Prenatal home visits
  • Home visits to families with 0-6 year old children
  • Developmental screenings for 0-6 year olds
  • Community resource information and referrals
  • Specialized services for pregnant and parenting teens

Resources/information provided

  • Prenatal care and education information
  • Nutritional information
  • Awareness of fetal, infant/toddler, and child development and --family interactions
  • Parenting skills
  • Family Health Care provider information
  • Counseling
  • Meeting Basic family/prenatal/child needs:
  • Food, shelter, clothing and transportation
  • Infant Massage
  • Information and support connecting families to other needed community resources that can assist children and families.

Home visitation

What is a home visit?
Visits are designed to provide information and support about questions you have about yourself and your pregnancy.

Through home visitation families can receive:
  • Connections with community agencies
    • Information on community prenatal education classes
    • Financial information
    • What you will need when the baby is here
    • Encourage changes for healthier lifestyle
  • Linkage to a medical provider to provide prenatal care and education, ongoing child health care checks and coordination of all medical needs.
  • Support in gaining knowledge about prenatal care, fetal development, infant and toddler development and family dynamics.
  • Information on community prenatal education classes, parent groups to assist in developing friendships and emotional support.
    • Managing stress and time
  • Childcare resources
  • Information on any community agencies or activities that the family feels is important to them.
  • Family involvement and their needs:
    • Fathers to be
    • Siblings
  • Respect, confidentiality and a listening ear about what is important for your family
  • Working in a partnership with families to empower them to utilize their community to the fullest

Costs

What will it cost?
Nothing except your time and attention! Family Connections is FREE of charge to any family that lives in Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Worth and Winnebago counties.

More information

For more information and/or get started, contact:
Karen K. Smith, Family Connections Coordinator

Family Connections
Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa
1000 4th St SW
Mason City, Iowa 50401

Phone: 641.421.2525 or 1.800.433.3883 Ext. 2525
Fax: .641.422.7621
E-mail: smithkk@mercyhealth.com


Family resource/information sheet
Note: These forms are in PDF format and require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
http://www.cghwempowerment.com/Documents/Family_Planning_Sheet.pdf

Prenatal Information | After Birth Information | Teen Parent Information