Community entities work with public and private providers and third-party payers to ensure that a sufficient level of prenatal care, childbirth preparation, parenting preparation, support during childbirth and support for breastfeeding is accessible, culturally appropriate, and affordable. The entities monitor programs and outcomes for an entire population, neighborhood, or community; scan what is available and what is missing to support healthy pregnancies; and take steps to fill in the gaps.
Local coalitions strengthen community connections to prenatal services by publishing annual report cards, creating widely representative citizen advisory boards, and distributing health-related materials in multiple languages. They make formal and informal sources of information, assistance, and support widely accessible and culturally responsive.
Community groups work with public agencies to encourage healthy habits and behavior during pregnancy, including good nutrition and not smoking.
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| Because Marion County (Indianapolis) has an unusually high rate of women who smoke during pregnancy, the Family Strengthening Coalition (part of the local Making Connections initiative) is collaborating with Indianapolis First Lady Amy Minick Peterson, the Marion County Health and Hospital Corporation, Midtown Community Mental Health Centers, the American Legacy Foundation, and other partners to publicize “Quitline.” This hotline offers free, confidential telephone counseling and connects expectant mothers with a trained counselor who will help them develop a plan to quit smoking using written guides, videos, and local smoking cessation programs. www.aecf.org/initiatives/mc/sites | |
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Community entities monitor the existence of connections between prenatal care and other necessary services to minimize stress and provide treatment for substance abuse and other problems likely to interfere with healthy childbearing or parenting.
Community groups work with public health agencies to ensure a healthy environment, including:
- Adequate sanitation and utility services
- Buildings maintained to code
- Access to safe, affordable, high-quality food supplies, including neighborhood markets
