Frequently Asked Questions

A program that provides a Personal Nurse to support you and your family throughout pregnancy and after your baby is born. Your Nurse will support you to identify and plan for the needs of you, your growing child(ren), and your family.

Your nurse will come to your home for a visit, or you can choose to meet at an alternative location, like a park. Telehealth or phone visit options are also available. Visits typically last one hour. Your nurse will answer any questions you may have, provide anticipatory education about your and your child’s health, and connect you to local resources.

At each visit you will be able to talk with your Nurse about how you and your child(ren) are doing. Your Nurse will share information on caring for and bonding with your child(ren) and playing and talking with your child(ren) to help them grow and learn. Your Nurse can connect you to other local resources that may be beneficial and to help you reach your family’s hopes and dreams.

Visits can vary based on your family's needs and goals, as well as when you are referred to us. We like to connect with you in pregnancy or soon after you bring your baby home, but you can also reach out at any time in your parenting journey. Your nurse will talk with you about what day and time will work best to meet and can be flexible around your schedule. 

MECSH stands for Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home visiting. MECSH is the name of our evidence-based home visiting model. It helps our nurses structure visits with families, including providing a schedule and topics to cover. Families can enroll in MECSH during pregnancy or up to 8 weeks after baby is discharged from the hospital. Families participate until child turns 2 years old.

Each of our counties also have traditional home visiting program options for families who may not qualify for, or who are not interested in, MECSH. A nurse will follow up on every referral received and can can share about resources and answer any questions you may have. Our nurses are knowledgeable about local resources and will help connect you, regardless if you decide to enroll in a home visiting program or not.

No. While you can ask for a referral to public health home visiting at your clinic or during your hospital stay, you can self-refer by completing our online referral form, calling or texting 763-276-0441, messaging us in our “contact us” section on our website, or asking to be referred to us at your next WIC appointment.

Home visiting is provided at no cost to families. 

No, family home visiting is a voluntary program. If you choose to participate, you can change your mind at any time. 

Home visiting is available throughout the state of Minnesota (and United States)! You can contact your county’s public health office to find out more. If you are unsure where to start, you can call/text us at 763-276-0441 and we can help connect you to someone.

“I had a high-risk pregnancy and stress following the birth. As a first-time mother it’s been great to have the knowledge they provide and someone I can ask, other than my doctors, about the smaller things. My nurse has also been helpful about making sure I had all the resources I need to be a successful mother to my son.” 

"All the services you provide are helpful to my family."

"I really love everything they have and the patience and flexibility."

In Fall 2023, we offered our 2nd annual Family Feedback Survey to all enrolled families. Of the 86 family respondents:

• 99% expressed improvement in one or more area of life since beginning home visiting
• 70% expressed improvement in understanding their child's development and parenting skills
• 50% reported more patience with their child's behaviors
• 52% reported improvement in reading their child's cues 
• 53% reported improvement in their ability to solve problems
• 80% of families felt they always have enough time with home visits (length, frequency) to have needs met
• 99% felt home visiting materials & information were easily understandable and/or provided in their preferred language
• 97% felt respected during home visits in parenting style & choices made for child(ren)
• 94% felt home visiting materials & information are useful for determining what is best for their child(dren)
• 94% confident that they can do a good job raising their child(ren) since participating in home visiting

Our nurses have access to interpreters to assist with language barriers.

Give us a call/text at 763-276-0441 or send us a message in our “contact us” section on our website, or email referrals@firststepscentralmn.org. We are happy to answer any additional questions you may have.

Please check for any employment opportunities on individual county websites.