Empowering Parents

The Children First Program celebrates its 10th anniversary.

The Rogers County Health Department is pleased to announce the 10th anniversary of the Children First Program. This program, which is part of Oklahoma’s Nurse-Family Partnership, greatly assists Rogers County and surrounding communities in reducing infant mortality and increasing the health of pregnant women and infants. The Rogers County Health Department is proud to have the Children First Program nurses on its staff and wants to congratulate them on their contributions to the program and wish them much success on their mission.

The Children First Program is operated by the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Family Health Services. After beginning in 1997, the groundbreaking program went statewide in 1998. It aims to improve pregnancy outcomes, and it promotes parent-child bonding, child health and development, access to community resources and positive parenting skills. Oklahoma was the first state in the nation to implement the nurse home visitation model statewide.

Clients who meet the WIC and Medicaid financial guidelines will also qualify for participation in the Children First Program. Women who are less than 29 weeks pregnant with their first baby can enroll in the service, and parents continue in the program until their child has reached his or her second birthday. Throughout the program, participating families are provided with home visits by a registered nurse. Nurses provide health and developmental assessments, education and referrals, as well as support to families needing help in coping with the demands of care giving while working or continuing their educations. Fathers, grandparents and other supportive persons are encouraged throughout the program to be involved in the life of the child.

During the 2006 fiscal year, 5,000 families in Oklahoma received services from Children First. Rogers County nurses who give their services to the Children First Program help approximately 60 families in Rogers, Washington, Nowata and Osage Counties. These wonderful nurses include Lead Nurse Tess Carroll, RN, BSN, Gina Maute, RN, Enid Coffey, RN, and Connie Cordray, RN, BSN.

A continuum of healthy pregnancies, healthy babies, healthy families and healthy communities is promoted in Oklahoma with the help of Rogers County nurses. For more information regarding the Children First Program, call the Rogers County Health Department at (918) 341-3166.

For more information, contact

Rogers County Health Department

(918) 341-3166