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Maternal and Child Health The Office of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) is responsible for protecting and promoting the health and well being of women, children and parenting families in Philadelphia. It supports services designed to reduce infant mortality and funds more than 60 organizations providing a full range of health and assistance programs. MCH contracts with area hospitals to provide comprehensive, high-quality prenatal care at the eight Philadelphia Health Care Centers. MCH also provides free and confidential family planning services, gynecological care, and contraceptive methods at the Health Centers. In recent years, MCH has expanded its services to identify the needs of at-risk families through comprehensive in-home assessments, family-focused health counseling, health education and referral to appropriate service providers. Prenatal outreach activities are part of the Department of Public Health's effort to decrease the city's infant mortality rate by providing proper prenatal care to a greater number of pregnant women living in the city. The Healthy Start Initiative, begun in 1991, is a federally funded program designed to reduce infant mortality and improve maternal and child health in West and Southwest Philadelphia. MCH provides funding through this program for targeted outreach and education, peer mentoring and home visiting services. MCH creates original, culturally specific educational materials in various languages (print and video) to meet the needs of Philadelphia's diverse communities. Materials are supplied free of charge to MCH providers, and distributed nationally and internationally. PREVIOUS | NEXT
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