Baby Talk is designed to address key causes of infant mortality. It serves pregnant women who are at high risk for poor birth outcomes, and their support people. Participants attend six two-hour classes promoting evidence-based health and safety practices. This project is funded by a Kansas Department of Health and Environment Aid to Local grant. Learn more and sign up for classes on the Baby Talk website. Contact BabyTalk@kumc.edu for more information.

Parenting is one of the most rewarding jobs a person can have, but it can also be challenging and stressful! Baby Steps is available to anyone in Sedgwick County who is pregnant or has a child less than one year of age. Participants receive one visit during pregnancy and/or one visit after baby is born. During these visits, Baby Steps connects individuals to community resources and provides information on pregnancy, infant care and so much more. Contact LYFTE@kumc.edu for more information or visit their website.

LYFTE improves the lives of young families, parents and children through an integrated approach to life-skills development focusing on health, education and employment. LYFTE navigators work one-on-one with eligible participants on individualized goal attainment in the priority areas of personal health, positive parenting, family relationships, education and career aspirations.

In addition, clients are connected to local services to support physical, social and emotional health. All sessions are offered at convenient locations for participants. This project is funded by KDHE.

Contact LYFTE@kumc.edu for more information or visit their website.

Few community-level interventions exist to address perinatal mental health or substance use challenges, despite their prevalence. HOPE kits are tangible tools inspired by Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy principles that support emotional regulation, safety and connection during moments of crisis. The Growing Hope Kit, a perinatal adaptation, was developed through a partnership between Wichita State University (WSU) Suspenders for Hope^TM  and KU School of Medicine-Wichita using the Social-ecological Model, Positive Psychology framework and Sources of Strength.

The Growing Hope kits are designed for use in clinical and non-clinical settings with minimal training. Kit goals are to: 

1. Enhance access to mental health and parenting resources
2. Educate on healthy choices, safe infant care, coping strategies and infant mental health promotion
3. Build coping strategies, such as mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, emotion regulation and distress tolerance, and provide tools to support these skills, such as distract (coloring book), and safeguard surroundings (gun lock, med lock)
4. Reduce stigma

For more information, visit the Growing Hope Kit website. 

Diaper insecurity, the lack of a sufficient supply of diapers, is a growing public health concern. As such, this study examined the prevalence of diaper insecurity among families in Sedgwick County, Kansas, and explored its relationship with demographics and social determinants of health.

In partnership with the KIDS Network, a certification program was developed to imbed regional Safe Sleep Instructors across the state. Certified Safe Sleep Instructors provide standardized education to professionals and families regarding the American Academy of Pediatrics Safe Sleep Guidelines.

Instructors also are trained to facilitate community safe sleep baby showers, assist hospitals in receiving national certification for safe sleep through Cribs for Kids©, and embed the Safe Sleep Toolkit in outpatient physician offices. The project is funded by a KDHE Aid to Local grant.