Children’s hospital features home visit program to help families

St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s Raising St. Louis program provides multidisciplinary home visitation teams comprised of nurses, social workers and community health workers for mothers during the prenatal period and until their child reaches age 5. It offers early childhood development, access to programs to address food, housing and transportation needs and engagement with fathers. Raising St. Louis plans to expand support with doulas. Research shows children in early intervention programs have significant improvements in their physical, cognitive, communication and social development. Early intervention can reduce the need for special education services in school and lead to higher rates of graduation, employment and living independently. Raising St. Louis clients have a 0.4% infant mortality rate compared to 1.3 mortality rate for St. Louis.