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Family Services

The Montezuma County Public Health Department provides support for members of our community through numerous Family Services Programs.

Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

WIC is an educational and supplemental nutrition program for pregnant women, infants, and children 1-5 years old. Appointments are made to evaluate the nutritional health of the family and tailored food package checks are then issued for each participant.

To qualify for WIC, the client must meet income guidelines and have one nutritional risk factor – this is done at the certification visit. Education is a big part of the WIC appointment as well as program explanation, health history, requirements and expectations, etc. Prenatal care is encouraged to ensure a healthier pregnancy outcome. Breastfeeding is always presented as the norm for feeding an infant, and we offer breastfeeding classes 6 times a year.
WIC works with other organizations to teach cooking skills, shopping skills, diabetes, weight management, and smoking cessation. We also monitor weights and do blood iron screening for a referral to doctors if needed. The WIC staff are all educated and trained for competency – together we have 50+ years of experience! We have an RN to evaluate higher risk situations and we all make many family health-related referrals to increase our client’s well being. WIC can really help families with basic nutritional needs so they can use their resources wisely.

WIC Program Benefits

Do you know about Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits? You or someone you know may be

January 26, 2022 4:00 pm

Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP)

The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program is a free, voluntary home visiting program that connects first-time parents with a registered nurse beginning early in pregnancy and continuing until their child turns 2 years old. Our nurses build trusted relationships with families by providing personalized education, encouragement, and support every step of the way.
By partnering with families early, Nurse-Family Partnership helps give children the healthiest possible start in life while supporting parents in achieving their personal, educational, and career goals. Together, we are building stronger families and a healthier community one home visit at a time.
NFP helps parents have healthy pregnancies, prepare for childbirth, support breastfeeding and infant feeding goals, promote healthy child development, and build confidence in their parenting skills. Families also receive guidance on child safety, nutrition, mental wellness, goal setting, and connections to local resources that strengthen family well-being.
First-time parents who are pregnant with their first child, meet program eligibility and live within the service area may enroll in the program. To learn more about the program contact Mallorye Bane 970-564-4765 or email mbane@co.montezuma.co.us

Visit the Nurse-Family Partnership website to read stories from first-time moms and learn more about available resources and support.

Essentials for Childhood

Essentials for Childhood: Essentials for Childhood (EfC) is a national child maltreatment prevention initiative. In Montezuma County, the health department’s EfC program focuses on increasing economic supports for families, promoting WIC, SNAP, and CCCAP, and increasing childcare slots.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Want your child to receive Free Books?

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Republic of Ireland.

Reach Out and Read

Reach Out and Read program is a literacy promotion program that provides education and books for parents to read to their children. This is encouraging, satisfying, and has been proven to increase literacy rates by having a love of books. Each child from 6 months to 5 years old is given a new age-appropriate book to take home when they get immunizations at Montezuma County Public Health. Their parents receive tips on reading and developmental milestones and sometimes a role model for reading. The Nurse-Family Partnership program is a satellite site for the Montezuma County Public Health Reach Out and Read program. This allows the ability to provide infants 0-5months with books as part of the Back to Birth program.