This session will include a discussion of a community agency's effective strategies for educating low-income pregnant women and new parents about their options under the TANF program. Participants will learn to develop strategies for the delivery of community health services in the changing environment of welfare reform. Since 1989, Maternity Care Coalition's neighborhood-based MOMobile programs have effectively assisted low-income pregnant women and new parents to access critical health and human services. Trained community health workers (MOMobile Advocates) offer crisis-intervention and long term family support. Welfare Reform brought a new urgency and required new approaches to helping families attain self-sufficiency. This presentation will discuss the development and implementation of the following program strategies that make TANF Work For Mothers and Babies: 1.)Intensive staff training on helping parents access and continue participation in new Welfare to Work Programs including adult education, job training, and subsidized child care. 2.) Development and distribution of easy to read consumer educational materials in several languages to educate the community on this massive social policy shift. 3.) Integration of TANF information into MOMobile Outreach Protocols and development of a TANF focussed needs- assessment tool for consumer education and to help staff identify and solve problems quickly. 4.) Integration of TANF-related data into the client database to track the impact of welfare reform on pregnant women and parents of young children. 5.) Influence on policy decisions at the state and local level through collaboration with other advocacy organizations.
Learning Objectives: Participants will learn effective strategies for educating low-income pregnant women and new parents about their options under the TANF program. They will learn how to develop enhanced strategies for the delivery of community health services in the changing environment of welfare reform. Participants will receive samples of materials developed
Keywords: Community-Based Health Promotion, Welfare Reform
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Maternity Care Coalition
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.