Frequently Asked Questions

A: Universal home visitation is a voluntary program, made availabe to all families, regardless of income or risk-factors. It is designed to prepare them for the arrival of their newborn, equip them to help the baby reach developmental milestones, and link them to community resources. LA Best Babies Network helped to design and implement the Welcome, Baby! pilot program, providing technical assistance to lead agency, Maternal and Child Health Access. MCH Access oversees the home visitors and began providing home visits in January of 2010.

A: Best Start LA is an iniative of First 5 LA, designed to optimize the social, emotional, cognitive, language, physical and motor development of L.A. County's youngest children, within the the multiple contexts and environments that affect their development:

• Pregnancy
• Nurturing Relationships
• Family
• Early Child Care and Education
• Early Intervention
• Neighborhoods and Communities

Best Start LA has a focused impact at both the community and county levels. The initial investment will support five Best Start LA demonstration communities and countywide capacity-building strategies for the prenatal through three-year-old population and their families. Best Start LA is a long-term vision for the Commission. Learn more: http://www.first5la.org/programs/best-start-la

A: LA Best Babies Network is a strategic partner of First 5 LA. The Network coordinated and oversaw the implementation of the Welcome, Baby! pilot, and assisted lead agency, MCH Access. The Network partnered with First 5 LA over a two year period to develop and design the pilot. MCH Access, in conjunction with California Hospital Medical Center, was selected as the lead agency to carry out the program. The pilot will test outreach and education models. Once tested, First 5 LA expects to expand universal home visitation to the whole of L.A. County, extending its benefits to all babies and their families over a five-year period..