Protecting Children is Everyone's Business

It is important to support families in order to keep children safe from abuse and neglect.

Research has shown that there are five protective factors that can make positive outcomes more likely for young children and their families and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. Those factors are:

  • Parental resilience
  • Social connections
  • Knowledge of parenting and child development
  • Concrete support in times of need
  • Social and emotional competence of children

As a community we can work to build up these protective factors for all. Learn more here. We partner with and support other community organizations working to promote healthy families.

Parenting Support Programs:

Newborn Home Visitor Program

Program Contact:

Mandi Morin, BSN, RN
319-385-0779
Henry County Public Health

amorin @ henrycountyiowa.us

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All newborn babies that live in Henry County are eligible for a home visit to share information on health, safety, parenting, growth and development, community resources and assistance with referrals. Telephone reassurance is also available. Home visits are free of charge. Services include:

  • Assessment of the infant
  • Weight check
  • Postpartum assessment
  • Assist with feeding concerns
  • Provide resources and information for new parents

Program Contact:

Amy McLaughlin
319-385-8126

Henry County Extension Office
127 N. Main Street, Mt. Pleasant

famconnection.2021 @ gmail.com

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The Family Connection provides early childhood educational programs designed to improve the health and well-being of pregnant women, parents, and their children ages 0-5. Personal visits are the foundation of The Family Connection program. During a personal visit we will:

  • Share information about child development and help you to anticipate what your child will do next
  • Help you find answers to questions and concerns that you may have regarding your child or other family issues
  • Provide an age-appropriate activity to help you observe your child’s abilities while having fun and building a solid foundation with your child
  • Always support you in becoming confident in your role as your child’s first and most important teacher

Group classes have resumed! Washington County Parent and Play groups are held the first Monday of each month at 10:30 a.m. at the Washington Public Library. Henry County Parent and Play groups are typically held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at the Henry County Extension office starting at 9 a.m. PLEASE FOLLOW THE FAMILY CONNECTION FACEBOOK PAGE FOR UPDATES ON GROUPS!

While participating you can earn points to redeem at Parents Place for diapers, wipes, baby shampoo, baby clothing, and other basic baby supplies.

All Family Connection programs are free of charge to Henry and Washington County residents with children ages 0-5, pending availability.

Funding for The Family Connection is provided by a grant from Early Childhood Iowa.

Program Contact:

Arin Jones
319-385-8126

Henry County Extension Office
arinj @ iastate.edu

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Community Partnerships for Protecting Children (CPPC) is a community-based approach that strives to support families in order to keep children safe from abuse and neglect.

  • CPPC is an approach that neighborhoods, towns, cities, and states can adopt to improve how children are protected from abuse and neglect.
  • It aims to blend the work and expertise of families, professionals and residents to bolster supports for vulnerable families and children.
  • Community Partnership is not a program…it is a way of working with families that helps services to be more inviting, strengths and needs-based, accessible and relevant.
  • It incorporates prevention strategies as well as strategies needed to address abuse and neglect, once identified.

The Henry County Child Advocacy Council serves as the shared decision making board for CPPC. We meet the 4th Thursday of each month from 12-1:30pm with part of the meeting focused on child abuse prevention strategies and the other part an interagency meeting to share and learn about other agencies serving Henry County. Everyone is welcome to join us!

We are also part of the Quad-County Community Partnerships for Protecting Children.

Services for Children:

Lead Testing

Program Contact:

Mandi or Angie
319-385-0779

Henry County Public Health
106 N. Jackson St., Mt. Pleasant

More Information about Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention

Lead poisoning prevention is an important Public Health Service. Lead poisoning is a silent disease:

  • You may not know if your home has lead paint—homes built before 1960 frequently have lead based paint.
  • Your child can have lead poisoning and not seem sick.
  • Children with lead poisoning may have learning disabilities and behavior problems. Serious cases can lead to death.

When should your child get tested? At a minimum, Iowa HHS recommends that all children in Iowa get a blood lead test at 1 and 2 years of age and tested annually up to 6 years in age based on their risk factors. Discuss with your provider when a blood lead test is necessary for your child. 

A blood sample from your child’s finger is all that is needed to obtain a lead level for your child. All Iowa children must have proof of a blood lead test before starting kindergarten or as soon after that as the parents are notified that the child needs a test. Testing is done during WIC Clinics and by appointment at the Public Health office. Children living in older homes commonly ingest lead through paint chips, dust, or soil around the exterior of the home. In the case of a child poisoned at 20ug/dl or more, a certified lead inspector will conduct an environmental inspection to identify lead hazards in the home.

Car Seat Safety

Program Contact:

April Riley, Child Passenger Safety Technician
319-385-0779

Henry County Public Health
106 N. Jackson St., Mt. Pleasant

ariley @ henrycountyiowa.us

Learn more about car seat safety here

Did you know? Vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death for children between 1 and 13 years old and nearly 60% of car seats are installed or adjusted incorrectly. We can help!

  • Is your child in the right car seat?
  • Is your car seat installed properly?
  • When does your child need to advance to the next car seat?

Henry County Public Health has a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician that can answer these questions and even help you find and install the right car seat for your child. Call April at 319-385-0779 to make an appointment for a FREE car seat safety check.

Immunizations

Program Contact:

Henry County Public Health
106 N. Jackson St., Mt. Pleasant
319-385-0779

Walk-In Clinic Hours

Tuesdays 9-11am
Wednesdays & Thursdays 1-4pm
1st & 3rd Thursday 1-6pm

All childhood and adolescent immunizations are available. View recommended vaccines for:

Vaccines will be billed to primary insurance or provided at no charge through the VFC (Vaccine for Children) program.

Click here to learn more about Public Health’s immunization program.

Program Contact:

Community Action of Southeast Iowa
319-209-2850
Call to schedule an appointment for the WIC clinic

Learn more about WIC

General screening services are offered in conjunction with the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Clinics held monthly in Mt. Pleasant at the First Presbyterian Church.  Services include:

  • Dental screening by a dental hygienist
  • Nutrition counseling
  • Social work services
  • Lead screening

WIC is a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children that provides supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women and to infants and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk.

1st Five

Program Contact:

Tessa Schroeder
319-372-5225

Lee County Health Department, serving CSA 13/14, including Des Moines, Henry, Lee, Louisa, Muscatine, Washington, & Cedar counties.

Learn more about 1st Five

Iowa’s 1st Five Healthy Mental Development Initiative was designed to build partnerships between primary care practices and public service providers to better meet the developmental needs of children during the first 5 years of life. Medical providers use developmental screening tools that screen for social-emotional, developmental, and family risk factors to better identify children at risk for a variety of concerns.

If a concern is identified, the primary care provider can make a referral to their local 1st Five agency who will then contact the family and help them find resources that will address those concerns. 1st Five staff will follow up with the family to ensure that services are effectively meeting the needs of the child and family, and then close the loop by sharing this information with the referring primary care provider. 1st Five services are free, voluntary, and confidential.

When concerns are identified and addressed early in a child’s life, it creates an opportunity for the best possible outcome for both the child and the family. The first five years last a lifetime!

Trainings Available

ACEs – Trainings available to raise awareness of ACEs and how to prevent or mitigate the effects.

Connections Matter – Relationships help us learn better, work better, parent better. With each connection, we develop a healthier, stronger community.

Poverty Simulation – An interactive immersion experience to help community participants understand the realities of poverty.

Stewards of Children – Child sexual abuse prevention training for adults.

Call Arin Jones at 319-385-8126 for more information about any of these trainings.

Learn More

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ parenting website is a great place to go for the most recent information on all kinds of topics, including breastfeeding, giving medication to children safely, and whether or not your child should be using electronic devices. healthychildren.org

View product recalls and safety alerts through the Consumer Product Safety Commission at cpsc.gov or their Facebook page.

Did you know? Iowa’s Medicaid providers offer programs that reward you for healthy activities! Check them out here: Iowa Total Care Molina Wellpoint

Find a variety of great articles, blogs and more at the National Association for the Education of Young Children website.

25 Ways to Be a Loving Parent

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that can dramatically upset a child’s sense of safety and well-being. Learn more about ACEs and their impact at iowaaces360.org

Prevent Child Abuse Iowa

Click here to download the full infographic.

Learn more at connectionsmatter.org

To report suspected child abuse please call 800-362-2178