Mind and Body: HANDS program available to new parents
The HANDS program is a community resource available in every county in Kentucky that provides information and support for new and expectant parents.
Families can enroll in the program any time during their pregnancy and all the way up until the child is 3 months old and can be served until their second or third birthday.
HANDS provides information about having a health pregnancy and how to support your baby’s overall development once they arrive.
Research shows that 95% of all brain development happens in the first 3 years of life. The HANDS program provides information to families about how to best support their child’s physical and brain development.
Additionally, the HANDS program also supports families in areas such as social and emotional health, play and stimulation, language development and other basic care skills needed to care for babies. We also know that being a parent can be stressful at times.
For this reason, the HANDS program also shares information about stress management, growing support systems, and taking a look at what values are most important to each individual family.
HANDS gives parents the opportunity to make toys, activities and keepsakes for the baby — all at no cost to the family. The program is free and completely voluntary. Parents can sign up any time during pregnancy until the baby is 3 months of age. While HANDS is based in the health department, parents do not have to be receiving any other service from the health department in order to access the HANDS program as it is open to the entire community.
For more information on the HANDS program, call 744-4482 and ask to speak with any member of the HANDS staff.
For more information, visit the Health Department website at www.clarkhealthdept.org, find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @CCHealthDept, or call 744-4482.