CHESTER - Crozer-Keystone’s Women’s and Children’s Health Services provides a range of services for families throughout the area. These services are directed through two main programs: Crozer-Keystone Healthy Start and Crozer-Keystone Nurse-Family Partnership Program.

Joanne Craig, M.S., administrative director of Women’s and Children’s Health Services, says, “We have many wonderful programs for families and children. When you call, we can help direct you to the program that best suits your needs and the needs of your family.”

Crozer-Keystone Healthy Start

Crozer-Keystone Healthy Start links under-served pregnant women, parents, families and caregivers of children age 0-24 months to appropriate health, human and social services. The program aims to reduce infant mortality and morbidity and improve perinatal outcomes.

The Healthy Start Program is available at no cost to participants, although they must be residents of Chester, Eddystone, Woodlyn, Parkside, Upland, Toby Farms, Chester Township, Trainer, Marcus Hook, Linwood or Upper Chichester Township.

The program’s staff makes convenient and confidential home visits, helps pregnant women get early, regular prenatal care and helps new moms stay up to date with their baby’s shots and check-ups. Healthy Start case managers also help participants with transportation to doctor’s visits and will connect them to community services that they are eligible to receive. Healthy Start also has staff members who speak Spanish and can assist Spanish-speaking patients.

Crozer-Keystone Nurse-Family Partnership Program

The Crozer-Keystone Nurse-Family Partnership Program was recently launched by Women’s and Children’s Health Services with the support of a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. Similar programs exist throughout Pennsylvania, but Crozer-Keystone’s was the only new program funded in the state in 2007.

The Nurse-Family Partnership Program is a free nurse home-visiting program (all nurses have bachelor’s degrees in nursing) designed to help first-time, low-income parents navigate through pregnancy, infancy and toddler hood. Parents meet with a visiting nurse at home to tackle the many challenges that face new families.

Crozer-Keystone’s program is part of a national initiative developed more than 30 years ago to help reduce crime, delinquency, child abuse, and neglect. In other areas, the program has successfully improved birth and childhood outcomes and helped families develop the skills they need to raise a family.

The program achieves these goals by teaching first-time parents how to get the most out of their prenatal care, learn essential parenting skills, answer questions as they arise, learn about important health issues, gain confidence in their own abilities as parents, plan future pregnancies, increase life skills and connect to valuable resources in their community.

“Women and Children’s Health Services is available to answer questions about our many services, if you would like more information.” Craig says, “We will come out to do a presentation about what the programs have to offer, either to your place of work or to an outside group or organization. We want the community to know about our program so they can use the services.”

For more information about Crozer-Keystone Health Start or the Nurse-Family Partnership Program, call (610) 497-7344 or healthystart@crozer.org for Healthy Start and nfp@crozer.org for the Nurse-Family Partnership Program.