Healthy Start and DHS to Provide Support to New Families During COVID-19 through the Hello Baby Program

PITTSBURGH, PA (PittsburghNewsWire.com) — On April 22nd, Healthy Start, Inc., as part of the Hello Baby program, began to support families who have given birth during the COVID-19.  This effort, a collaborative initiative of Healthy Start and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, will connect parents with newborns in Allegheny County with a team of social workers and peer engagement specialists to receive a ‘virtual warm hug’ as they adjust to life with a newborn.

 

The Hello Baby program, a comprehensive tiered approach using a predictive risk model, originally slated to launch in late spring 2020 and designed to provide individualized supports and interventions to new families, was delayed by the COVID-19 outbreak. In an effort to address the immediate resource needs of families with newborns during the current pandemic, the Healthy Start team assembled for Hello Baby has been dispatched for this purpose.

 

Giving birth and adjusting to life with a newborn can be challenging even during normal times and the isolation and social distancing resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak has intensified these challenges.  Parents are giving birth with fewer support people and being quickly discharged from hospitals.  In addition, they’re having a difficult time getting the newborn supplies and other resources that they need, and being faced with unknowns about how to keep their baby safe.  Hello Baby is here to help families welcome their newborn into the world and make sure that parents feel supported by the Pittsburgh community.

 

“The community response in support of families adjusting to quarantine and social distancing practices has been overwhelmingly positive. We would be remiss not to focus in on the needs of households with new babies,” said Jada Shirriel, chief executive officer of Healthy Start, Inc.

 

Hello Baby staff are delivering a box of newborn supplies, as well as providing emotional postpartum support and offering information, connection, and referrals to community-based resources.

 

This short-term pandemic triage for families of newborns who could use additional social support is made possible through strong partnerships with Magee Women’s Hospital, United Way’s 2-1-1 line, and Allegheny Health Network (West Penn, Jefferson, and Forbes hospitals). Referrals are made directly through social workers, nurses, and other providers at the birthing hospital.

 

Healthy Start, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving maternal and child health and reducing and eliminating infant mortality.  Healthy Start is rooted in the community and works to increase awareness of infant and maternal mortality, promote health literacy and equity, streamline and coordinate services between public and private agencies, and build partnerships of commitment among families, volunteers, businesses, health care and social service providers. Visit www.healthystartpittsburgh.org.

 

 

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