Southeast Montana News

RiverStone Health has introduced a new initiative called Welcome Baby, aimed at supporting new parents in Yellowstone County. This free program connects families with Community Health Workers (CHWs) who offer customized resources, education, and support to meet each family's unique needs.

The CHWs are stationed at Billings Clinic, Young Families Early Head Start, and Family Tree Nurturing Center. This setup fosters a community-wide effort to link parents or guardians with local resources effectively.

"Bringing a newborn baby home is no easy task," stated Ellie Lanz, early intervention services coordinator at RiverStone Health. "We want to ensure the long-term success of Yellowstone County families by providing personalized peer-to-peer support. These types of visits can help build positive parenting techniques and result in a stronger parent-child relationship."

Families can choose to have visits with CHWs either at home or in community settings where they feel most comfortable. These visits may include education on feeding and safe sleep practices, connections to community resources, and mental health support.

Welcome Baby is available as a pilot program for all new parents in Yellowstone County without regard to income level. It is offered in collaboration with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

For further details, interested individuals can call 406-247-3305 or visit RiverStoneHealth.org/WelcomeBaby.