Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-Visiting Program (MECSH)
Model effectiveness research report last updated: 2013
In brief
Evidence of model effectiveness
Title | General population | Tribal population | Domains with favorable effects |
---|---|---|---|
Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-Visiting Program (MECSH) | ![]() |
Does not meet HHS criteria for tribal population because the model has not been evaluated with a tribal population. |
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Model description
Based in Australia, the Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-Visiting (MECSH) program is designed to enhance maternal and child outcomes by providing prenatal and antepartum services in addition to the traditional postpartum care families receive through Australia’s universal system for maternal, child, and family health services. The model can be adapted for systems outside of Australia and to meet local needs. MECSH serves parents or caregivers at risk of adverse parental and/or child health and development outcomes. Registered nurses conduct a minimum of 22 (for postnatal enrollment) to 25 (for prenatal enrollment) 60- to 90-minute home visits. Nurse home visitors deliver services until the child’s second birthday. During the visits, nurses focus on parent education, maternal health and well-being, family relationships, goal setting, and other issues such as housing and finances. Also available are parenting groups, activities to link families to the community, and referrals to other specialized care (such as dieticians and drug and alcohol counselors).
Extent of evidence
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