Garrett County Health Department Early Care Programs Provides Services

The Garrett County Health Department’s Early Care Programs provides free voluntary home visitation services to families and children prenatally up to age 5. Healthy Families Garrett County and Early Head Start Home-Based programs provide services to empower parents to give their child the best beginning in life.

“I like having someone to bounce questions off of to make sure my baby is growing the way she should,” said Kaitlin Engle, who is pregnant with her first child. “I also enjoy the activities. I like to meet and talk to other parents.”

Families work with Registered Nurses or other trained staff to address the measures included in Maryland’s Results for Child Well-Being Report. Services focus on babies born healthy, healthy children, children entering school ready to learn, children living in safe families and communities, and children living in stable and economically independent families.

“Throughout our program services, Early Care Program incorporates a 2-Generational approach to individualize program services to meet the needs of the entire family,” said Maria Friend, Director of the program. “Families work with home visitors to receive education on a variety of health, safety, and self-sufficiency topics. Families also have access to screenings and referrals to needed resources.”

Early Care Programs also has a Warm Line, a phone number that families can call to speak to a Registered Nurse to ask questions about their family health concerns. To learn more about Garrett County Health Department’s Early Care Programs, or to talk to a Warm Line nurse, call 301-334-7720.

By Diane Lee, Public Information Officer, Garrett County Health Department