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Indian River County Healthy Starz Coalition, Inc . TLC Newborn Program Children 's Services Advisory Committee Grant 2006-07 &PROGRAM NEEDS STATEMENT (Entire Section B not to exceed one page) a) What is the unacceptable condition requiring change? Upon arriving home a day or two after giving birth, mothers are thrust into monumental change, unexpected fatigue and never ending demands of a newborn infant. It is her time to bond with baby, but confidence wanes over sleep patterns, breastfeeding 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 depression2; conditions that are unacceptable for a newborn' s mental, emotional and physical well being. Mothers need accurate information and one on one support that is responsive, timely, accessible, impartial, and non-judgmental. b) Who has the need? All mothers (families), because the need for accurate information and support does not stop at birth. If mothers lack this necessary support after childbirth, especially if breastfeeding it may put the infant' s environment, development and the family at risk. 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. For information on parenting, breastfeeding and child development, new parents most often turn to each other, their own mothers and pediatricians. Promotion and support of breastfeeding are critical health needs as defined by Healthy Goals 2010. New parents lack knowledge, physicians limit time with families and there is a significant gap in grandparents ' knowledge about appropriate responses to a child ' s needs . Although it is an appropriate response, 60% of grandparents and 44% of parents believe picking up a 3 month old every time she cries will likely spoil a child. They 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. A parent experiencing depression or anxiety can have a detrimental affect on the infant' s development, yet 61 % of all adults and 55% of parents did not know when young babies begin to be affected by the moods of others. "How corn etP ent a parent feels can be a major factor in the parent ' s support of their child's development. "' The need is met when supportive, responsive TLC Newborn family associates connect with parents and relay appropriate, research based, up to date information that will increase confidence, breastfeeding success, parenting skills and the baby' s environment. Confident parents armed with updated information and appropriate responses to their baby' s needs enhance their baby' s environment and their mental, emotional and physical well-being. b) 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. Through universal Healthy Start risk screening, Healthy Start and Healthy Families serve a small percentage of pregnant women (33 %) and newborn families ( 13 %) identified at risk for poor outcomes. A universal screen is used to evaluate the pregnant woman ' s eligibility for these two home visiting programs that address specific risks. For every $ 1 invested in Healthy Start support services $6 are saved in costs of caring for an unhealthy baby. Although effective, eligibility is based on risk not need. All parents need a source for accurate information that will establish a healthy environment during baby' s first year. TLC support services are unique because they are available to families of ALL babies born to residents of Indian River County regardless of risk. Ryser FG. Breastfeeding attitudes, intention and initiation, Journal of Human Lactation 2004; 20(3):300-5 3 What Crown-Ups Know About Child Development, a National Benchmark Survey , www.zerolothree.org ' DYG, Inc., What Grown- Ups Understand About Child Development: A Nab'onal Benchmark Survey- Zero to Three. Executive Summary.July 2000 5