Healthy Steps
New parents often say that they wish their baby came with an instruction manual. Healthy Steps for Young Children is even better than that mythical manual.
Mothers and fathers with young children want more information and support for their own child on the everyday issues they face such as sleeping, crying, toilet training, discipline, and how to encourage their child to learn. This is exactly what Healthy Steps provides.
Designed for all families, Healthy Steps allows physicians to expand services beyond those concerned solely with the physical health of young children. It provides a comprehensive approach to healthcare that supports mothers and fathers in their role as nurturers of the emotional, behavioral, intellectual, and physical growth of their children.
Focusing on children from birth to age three, Healthy Steps takes advantage of the teachable moments that emerge from addressing parents’ concerns about development and behavior to guide them in their role as parents. Healthy Steps uses a team approach to primary healthcare for young children. The team includes a professional staff member, called a Healthy Steps Specialist, whose background in child development, nursing, or social work is complemented by Healthy Steps training. The Healthy Steps Specialist is the member of the healthcare team who provides the effective link between the family and the pediatric and family practice.
Additional services include:
- home visits to coach families with home safety and discipline plans
- information about the importance of positive parent-child interactions
- linking parents to community resources
- assisting parents in reaching informed decisions guiding their parenting approach
Healthy Steps also participates in a program that promotes the love of books called Reach Out and Read. Children receive a new book with each well-child visit from six months to five years old.
Phoenix Children's Hospital is one of 17 Healthy Steps sites nationally providing pediatric resident training in child development.
Contact
(602) 546-0235
