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Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition, Inc. TLC Newborn Program Children 's Services Advisory Committee Grant 2007-08 B. PROGRAM NEED STATEMENT (Entire Section B not to exceed one page.) 1 . a) What is the unacceptable condition requiring change? Upon arriving home within days of giving birth, mothers are thrust into monumental change, unexpected fatigue and relentless demands of a newborn infant. It is a critical time in the bonding experience, but confidence wanes over breastfeeding, sleep patterns, and family dynamics, especially if there is difficulty breastfeeding. Professional support is critical in the first few weeks post delivery ' . If she becomes unsure, she may feel guilty and desperate about being unable to cope. Without the necessary support that will nurture her and her baby, it may lead to feelings of loneliness, insecurity or depression; conditions that are unacceptable for a newborn' s mental, emotional and physical well being. Mothers, especially teens need accessible, accurate information given in a non-judgmental manner. b) Who has the need? Mothers, teen mothers, especially those attempting to breastfeed, and fathers of newborns because information and support that builds parent confidence are critical during this time period. If mothers, especially teens lack necessary support after childbirth there is risk to the child and his/her environment. c) Where do they live? Indian River County d) Provide local, state, or national trend data, with reference source, that corroborates that this is an area of need. New parents seek information from each other, their mothers and pediatricians. Physicians limit time with families and there is a significant gap in grandparents' knowledge about appropriate responses to a child' s needs. Many parents and grandparents are misinformed about the effects of not always responding to a baby's cry . Only one third of parents feel "very prepared" for parenthood even though 71 % of them understand infant brain development and experiences in the first years of life have a significant impact. Parents experiencing depression or anxiety can have a detrimental affect on the child' s development, yet 61 % of all adults and 55% of parents did not know young babies are affected by the moods of others . "How competent a parent feels can be a major factor in the parent' s sport of their child' s development"3 The need is met by responsive TLC associates who personally connect with parents and relay appropriate, research based support that will increase parental confidence, breastfeeding success, parenting skills and the child ' s environment. Support for breastfeeding is a critical health need as defined by Healthy Goals 2010. TLC provides personal guidance to mothers having problems with breastfeeding. Currently 82% of mothers seen by TLC are initiating breastfeeding in the hospital. 2. a) Identify similar programs that are currently serving the needs of your targeted population; b) Explain how these existing programs are under-serving the targeted population of your program. Healthy Start and Healthy Families serve a subset of pregnant women (33 %) and children ( 13 %) previously identified at risk for poor outcomes by the Healthy Start screenings. Although effective, risk is not always apparent and not all parents consent to screening for risk. By serving 86% of families in Indian River County, TLC provides an alternative method of screening for risks to children. No other program provides TLC ' s intensive breastfeeding support through certified lactation counselors. I Ryser FG. Breastfeeding attitudes, intention and initiation, Journal of Human Lactation 2004; 20(3):300-5 2 What Grown-L'vs Know About Child Development, a National Benchmark survey , www.zerotothree.org 3 DYG, Inc., What Grown-Ups Understand About Child Development. A National Benchmark Survey. Zero to Three. Executive Summary.July 2000 4