About The Program
The Pre To 3 program is a service of the Vanderburgh County Health Department designed to reduce infant mortality in our community by providing long-term, consistent, hands-on support for babies and families.
Pre To 3 is a home-visiting program designed to support families during pregnancy and until the baby is 3 years old. A Community Health Worker visits the family each week and uses the Growing Great Kids™ curriculum to teach important skills that build a healthy home.
Why Pre to 3?
The number of babies in Southwest Indiana who die before their first birthday is comparable to some developing countries.
Between 2011-2015, there were 180 babies in Vanderburgh County died before their first birthday. Our infant mortality rate is simply unacceptable and the program is here to lower those statistics.
Our goal is for Vanderburgh County and the surrounding communities to become one that all pregnant women, infants, children & families have a place to receive support to grow healthy children and families.
Hear From A Pre to 3 Family
Who Qualifies and What Is The Cost?
Pre To 3 is a free program provided by the Vanderburgh County Health Department.
Pregnant women and infants under 90 days old can participate. This also includes grandparents, men/fathers, same-sex couples, and single women. The person must live in Vanderburgh, Gibson, Posey, or Warrick County.
Who Visits Me and My Family?
Each parent/guardian/caregiver is assigned a Community Health Worker (CHW). The CHW visits the home every week and shares the curriculum in Growing Great Kids™. Community Health Workers bring in other professionals when needed. This includes a registered nurse, social worker, lactation consultant, and more. To the right is our amazing team!
What Happens During A Home Visit?
Each week, the Community Health Worker will do an activity with the caregiver/parent and the baby. The activities teach important skills that support healthy growth and development. Examples of topics and activities include:
- What happens during pregnancies
- Information about labor and delivery
- Choosing breastfeeding or bottle feeding
- How to connect with the new baby
- Postpartum depression and/or anxiety
- Basic care of a newborn
- Safe sleep instructions
- Information on physical and emotional development
- Car seat education/inspection
- Positive ways to handle the stress and emotions of being a parent
Incentives of the Program
Each week, the Community Health Worker will do an activity with the caregiver/parent and the baby. The activities teach important skills that support healthy growth and development. Examples of topics and activities include:
- A Little Lambs voucher is given after each visit
- Sleep sack, baby book, Little Lambs voucher, crib sheet, and pacifer for each family member in attendance of a safe sleep class
- Resources to provide a safe crib and car seat
- Build toys together!
3 Leading Causes of Infant Mortality
We know that the three leading causes of infant death in our communities are preterm birth, birth defects and sleep related deaths. These are preventable problems if you know the basics of pregnancy and infant development.
- Preterm Birth
- Sleep Related Deaths
- Birth Defects
Language Services
We take pride in being able to provide services to our clients of all different cultural backgrounds. Our CHW’s are a diverse group of women who speak a handful of different languages. If you do not see your language listed below, we have the resources to meet your needs as well with our translation services partner.
- English
- Spanish
- Haitian Creole
- Marshallese
