Public Health Initiatives and Funding

Best Beginnings for Pregnant Adolescents

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Pregnant adolescents are at higher risk for anemia and dropping out of school, and their infants are at higher risk for a low birth weight, infant mortality and abuse and neglect.

Best Beginnings, the local arm of the National Nurse Family Partnership administered by Public Health – Seattle & King County, promotes healthy child development by providing public health nursing services to low-income, adolescent women who are pregnant for the first time. Eighty-five percent of the mothers served are from minority communities who don’t have good access to health care. They are enrolled prior to 28 weeks of pregnancy and are followed until the children are two years old.

Services include in-home nurse visits; health assessments of the mother and infant; health education; child development evaluation; and referrals to prenatal care, health insurance, housing, child care, public assistance, school, work training and other services. Best Beginnings services have proven to be effective in improving birth and infant health outcomes, increasing young mothers’ engagement in school or work, and decreasing incidents of child abuse and neglect.

The City of Seattle has funded Public Health - Seattle & King County for Best Beginnings since 2002. In 2011, we are providing $539,816 toward the total program operating budget of approximately $1.2 million.

Information

For more information about Best Beginnings call 206-205-7273.

For more information about City of Seattle public health programs and services, call 206-684-0684 or e-mail publichealth@seattle.gov.

For information about related programs, visit:

• American Academy for Child and Adolescent Psychology When Children Have Children
• National Nurse Family Partnership

Links

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Seattle Human Services Department
Street address: 700 5th Avenue, Suite 5800, Seattle, WA 98104
Mailing address: PO Box 34215, Seattle, WA 98124-4215

Phone: 206-386-1001
Fax: 206-233-5119
TTY/TTD: 206-233-2778

Accommodations for people with disabilities provided upon request.