SPRINGFIELD — To close gaps in health care that new mothers and their children face before their standard six-week postpartum checkup, State Senator Cristina Castro led a measure through the Senate that would expand at-home care for newborns and their families.
“Providing a community and resources for new mothers and their children delivers stability in a critical period of their lives,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “The challenges of becoming a new parent should not be faced alone.”
Over the last three decades, Illinois has provided families with home visiting programs to assist with child development, parenting skills, family bonding and health, and more. The current home visiting system is a valuable resource for early childhood development statewide, serving approximately 17,000 Illinois families annually. Home visiting programs are proven to have significant positive effects on maternal and family well-being by improving maternal mental and behavioral health, parent-child interactions and family economic circumstances.
Castro’s measure would build on current state support by authorizing the Illinois Department of Human Services to develop and oversee a statewide, voluntary, no-cost newborn home visiting program that would aid with existing and future short-term universal newborn home visiting services, from lactation support to health screenings. Through House Bill 4606, the department would be empowered to establish evidence-based service models, coordinate funding and data efforts, and collaborate with stakeholders to expand services for newborns and their families.
“The postpartum period is the most critical part in the lives of new mothers and their children,” said Castro. “By expanding the state’s home visiting programs, we can close gaps in care newborns and their families experience before any complications arise.”
House Bill 4606 passed the Senate on Wednesday and heads to the governor’s desk.
