West Virginia Perinatal Partnership

W. Va. Right From the Start Project  Domestic Violence Intervention

Few social programs can boast of professional, highly qualified, specially trained staff who are experienced in providing home based care coordination services to high risk pregnant women and their infants. Even fewer have demonstrated multi-generational outcomes that benefit society economically and reduce long-term social service expenditures. The Right From The Start Project (RFTS) is such a program, committed to producing enduring improvements in the health and well being of low-income parents and their infants. This voluntary home visiting preventive health focused program is delivered by educated and experienced registered nurses and licensed social workers known as Designated Care Coordinators (DCCs).

Read More

In-Home Visiting

One of the Partnership's goals for 2008 is to increase In-Home visiting for West Virginia families.  We will work with Right From the Start and other in-home visiting programs to increase the number and percentage of expectant and new families that are provided in home advice and education related to pregnancy and newborn care. 

340 West Virginia Families Will Receive Safe Cribs This 2009 Holiday Season From A Partnership Between West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources And Keeping Babies Safe.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Public Health Right from the Start Program has partnered with Keeping Babies Safe (KBS), a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, in a groundbreaking program of education and service to give 340 safe cribs for qualifying families this Holiday season throughout the Mountain State.  Funding for the project is provided by a grant.  

340 West Virginia families will benefit this Holiday season from education, hands-on training and safety approved mattresses and cribs.  Parents will receive information and training on infant health and safety.  The result of the project will be lower infant mortality.  This comes at a very important time after the CPSC has recalled 2.1 million unsafe cribs - its largest number of unsafe crib recall to date. Governor Joe Manchin III said, “We are proud that West Virginia is at the forefront of this important project to keep babies safe.  An investment in our children is an investment in our future.”    

“KBS’ mission with Project Safe Crib is to educate organizations and parents about crib safety and safe sleeping practices and to place safe cribs in the homes of qualifying families,” states Keeping Babies Safe President, Joyce Davis.  “We are thrilled that so many families will benefit from these safe cribs this Holiday Season.”  

Keeping Babies Safe www.keepingbabiessafe.org is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides education and leadership in keeping babies safe from preventable injuries associated with unsafe cribs, sleep environments and dangerous infant products. KBS’ Project Safe Crib is designed to help parents from economically challenged environments obtain safe cribs through health and human service organizations around the country.  Project Safe Crib trains organizations in safe crib practices; purchases safe cribs at an industry discount and offers them to organizations for distribution to the public.  Safe cribs are brought into homes by trained professionals and set up to the highest safety standards.   

West Virginia Right From The Start Project (RFTS) provides in-home care coordination services to high risk, low income pregnant women through the second postpartum month and Medicaid eligible high risk infants through one year of age. To learn more about the West Virginia RFTS Project or to reach a local contact in your area please visit www.wvdhhr.org