© 2025 First 5 Center for Children’s Policy. All rights reserved.
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Although home visits are now conducted by phone, and some of the concerns addressed are shifting, one thing hasn’t changed — families continue to seek the support of Santa Barbara’s field nurses.
This week California released an important new policy making family therapy a covered benefit for children in Medi-Cal. This is a significant step forward in approaching children’s health from a whole-family wellness perspective.
While many women experience some mild mood changes after the birth of a child, commonly known as the “baby blues,” in California 1 in 6 women experience more significant symptoms of depression or anxiety. Orange County’s perinatal mental health toolkit is intended to provide educational, screening, treatment, and referral resources, the toolkit helps providers identify at-risk parents who may benefit from preventive services such as mentorship, classes, home visiting, and support groups.
With a presidential administration that has kept immigrant families living in a constant state of fear due to one of the most aggressive agendas on immigration in modern times, and a virus that’s disproportionately affecting communities of color, home visitors can play a more vital role in immigrant families’ lives than ever before.
For a child with a developmental delay or disability, timely and accessible intervention services can be critical to that child’s wellbeing, as well as that of her parents or caregivers. COVID-19 has disrupted services for many families, compounding the stress related to changes to employment, child care, and overall routines. As a result, rates of stress, depression, and anxiety during the pandemic are significantly higher in households where a young child has a disability.
© 2025 First 5 Center for Children’s Policy. All rights reserved.