(606) 298-7752
136 Rockcastle Road, Inez, KY 41224
HANDS
MARTIN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Are you pregnant or the parent of a newborn?
Do you have question about…
…a healthy pregnancy?
…a healthy baby?
…a healthy toddler?
…a healthy family?
Why should parents participate in HANDS?
Pregnancy and parenthood can be overwhelming experiences, which come with worries, questions, and stress.
During pregnancy a parent may wonder:
- Are the feelings I’m having about my pregnancy typical?
- What physical changes and discomforts can be expected during pregnancy?
- What should I know before delivery and before bringing my baby home?
- How do I prepare my other child/children for the addition of a new sibling?
After the child arrives questions may include:
- How do I know what my baby needs when he cries?
- How do I help my baby and other children feel secure and loved?
- When should my child begin walking and talking?
- How important is a dad’s role in a child’s development?
- What is appropriate discipline for my child?
- How do I balance everyone's needs in my family?
HANDS is a voluntary home visitation program for moms, dads and families. HANDS answers these kinds of questions and provides parents with support in developing a parent-child relationship, at no cost to the family.
What Can Parents Expect?
All families will receive information and learn about community resources for parents.
Some families will receive further support through home visitation. These families will engage in fun activities, right in their home, to learn more about:
- Having a healthy pregnancy
- Caring for their baby
- How to bond with their child
- How to provide their child with enriching learning experiences
- Creating a safe and healthy home
- Child Development
- Dealing with stress
Who Can Participate?
- Any parent (mom/dad) expecting a new baby
- Families must be enrolled prenatally or before a child is 90 days old
Providing support to parents, right from the start, right in their own homes
How has HANDS improved Kentucky families' lives?
Families who participated in HANDS (compared to families who did not participate) experienced*:
- Fewer premature infants
- Fewer low birth weight babies (<5 lbs, 9 oz)
- Fewer very low birth weight babies (<3 lbs, 5 oz)
- Fewer developmental delays
Studies have shown that families who participate in HANDS in the first trimester of pregnancy experience even fewer incidence of the above.
Parents also reported improvements in their:
- Home’s safety
- Support system
- Discipline techniques
- Anger management skills
- Coping skills
- Amount of stress
*Results according to 2002-2005 vital statistic data and program evaluation data.
HANDS Believes:
- All parents want to be good parents.
- All parents want their children to be healthy.
- All families have strengths.
- Families are responsible for their children.
- Families are the primary decision makers regarding their children.
- Communities recognize their roles in children’s lives.
- Communities recognize that all children must succeed.
- Prevention and early intervention improve the community’s well-being.
- Public and private partnerships are vital to a successful program.
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT or go to www.KYHANDS.com
Cabinet for Health and Family Services
275 East Main Street, HS2W-C
Frankfort, KY 40621
(502)-564-3756, option 2
https://www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dmch/ecdb/Pages/hands.aspx