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The Best Start InitiativeResearch has demonstrated that the first months of life are critical for healthy brain development. Helping families and their infants get off to the best possible start not only helps the family immediately, but also can prevent long-term problems for the rest of the child’s life.
United Way began the Best Start Initiative to support parents by creating a new and unified system of home visiting. Community partners for the Initiative include Public Health Nursing, Early Head Start, Maine Families, The Opportunity Alliance, Mid Coast Women’s Health, and Mid Coast Hospital. The Initiative received funding from the John T. Gorman Foundation, The Betterment Fund, and Jane’s Trust. The hope is for this new system of home visiting to become the norm so that all our Mid Coast children get the best possible start in life. |
How does Best Start work?
As part of prenatal care at Mid Coast Medical Group's Women's Health Center, all pregnant women are scheduled to meet with the Best Start Specialist or a home visitor. The Specialist lays out the options for families and introduces the family to a home visitor. The amount of visits and the issues to be addressed are agreed upon by the parent or family and the home visitor.
Sarah Cunio met with the Best Start Specialist to learn more about parenting supports offered by home visiting programs. She was connected with home visitor Jen Doherty of Maine Families.
"My husband and I have two other children, and I've read a fair amount, but I still have questions," said Sarah. "Such as - what's the best way to handle sibling rivalry with a new baby? It's so helpful to have a knowledgeable person on our side, to answer our questions and give us the most up-to-date information on healthy child development. Plus, Jen is just great and the visits are so much fun!"
The Best Start Specialist connects families with the most appropriate services for them. Parenting a new baby is the most important job you'll ever have. Home visitors give an extra boost of confidence to family members, share activities to help ensure the child's healthy development, connect families to other resources as needed or desired, and helps the child and family get the best possible start.
As part of prenatal care at Mid Coast Medical Group's Women's Health Center, all pregnant women are scheduled to meet with the Best Start Specialist or a home visitor. The Specialist lays out the options for families and introduces the family to a home visitor. The amount of visits and the issues to be addressed are agreed upon by the parent or family and the home visitor.
Sarah Cunio met with the Best Start Specialist to learn more about parenting supports offered by home visiting programs. She was connected with home visitor Jen Doherty of Maine Families.
"My husband and I have two other children, and I've read a fair amount, but I still have questions," said Sarah. "Such as - what's the best way to handle sibling rivalry with a new baby? It's so helpful to have a knowledgeable person on our side, to answer our questions and give us the most up-to-date information on healthy child development. Plus, Jen is just great and the visits are so much fun!"
The Best Start Specialist connects families with the most appropriate services for them. Parenting a new baby is the most important job you'll ever have. Home visitors give an extra boost of confidence to family members, share activities to help ensure the child's healthy development, connect families to other resources as needed or desired, and helps the child and family get the best possible start.
The Research behind the Best Start InitiativeAdverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are linked with negative long-term health outcomes.
In Maine, we have an organization called the Maine Resiliency Building Network (MRBN). MRBN's mission is "to promote resilience in all people by increasing understanding of the impacts of traumas and stressors such as Adverse Childhood Experiences and the importance of protective factors like positive relationships. We aim for a comprehensive, cross-sector, and systematic approach to foster education, awareness and action." United Way's Peter Lindsay is an active member of MRBN and brings back research, information, and networking to help us make an impact here in Mid Coast Maine. |
From the Center for Disease Control & Prevention. Click the image to go to the CDC's webpage on ACEs.
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This video series is from Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child. They give a broad overview of how a baby's brain works, the importance of positive early childhood experiences, and the effects of toxic stress.
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What people are saying about Best Start:"I now have the skills and knowledge to be the best mother that I can possibly be to my little boy." "You can read things about parenting, or look them up online, but there's nothing better than having someone right in front of you, almost like a coach, helping you though." "It's so helpful to have a knowledgeable person on our side, to answer our questions and give us the most up-to-date information on healthy child development. Plus, the visits are so much fun!" |
