Maternal Child

Mothers and fathers in Kane County work hard to give their children the very best start in life. We recognize that hard work and are here to help along the way! Kane County Health Department programs have been developed to provide busy families with a "one stop shop" way to get all the services they need, at one time and in one place.

Scroll down to learn more about our Maternal Child Health programs

Visit our "One Stop Shop" Services at Kane County Health Department
Our offices are open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, except for major holidays.
AURORA PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER (for those living SOUTH of Rt. 38 in Geneva) 1240 N. Highland Avenue Aurora, Illinois 60506 Phone: (630) 897-1124 FAX (630) 897-4845	ELGIN PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER (for those living NORTH of Rt. 38 in Geneva) 113 S. Grove Avenue Elgin, Illinois 60120 Phone: (847) 695-0848 FAX (847) 695-0988
We can link you to the following services:

<<< link to AllKids Pages	<<< link to FamilyCare Pages
AllKids is a state program that offers low cost or free health care coverage to children (through age 18), pregnant women and their babies, or helps in paying premiums of employer or private health insurance plans.	FamilyCare provides health insurance for parents of children who are already enrolled in AllKids or qualify for AllKids.

AOK: Early Childhood Networks
ensures that all families with children under the age of three years receive needed services —
from pre-natal care to well-baby checkups, parenting education to specialized services.

<<< link to AOK Pages

Child Care Nurse Consultant Program	Our nurse visits child care homes and child care centers to offer information, training, and technical assistance to assure the best and healthiest child care settings in Kane County. Group trainings are offered according to need, request, and regulatory priorities. The nurse also helps parents find quality child care for special needs, such as children with asthma and diabetes.
Health Advisor Program	Nurses offer visits and health advice required by DCFS licensing for child care centers.

Our HealthWorks of Illinois staff helps foster parents locate doctors for their foster children, and helps make sure children get needed shots and physicals, when necessary. They also provide information and support to foster parents about children’s health care needs.
<<< link to HealthWorks Page

Individualized
Programs

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): Nurses offer support to families who have lost an infant to SIDS.

For Babies With High Medical Risks: High Risk Infant Follow Up: Nurses visit families of infants born with medical problems that are discovered soon after birth. They examine the baby and monitor the growth and development and assure that needed specialty or therapy services are provided.
High Risk Follow-Up Brochure - English

The Kane County Health Department offers home visiting programs to mothers-to-be, to help support and prepare them and the expectant dads for the needs of their new baby and their role as parents.

<<< link to Kane Kares Page

Mother/Baby
Services

Our team of nurses, social workers, nutritionists and other mother/baby professional advisors welcomes pregnant women and infants through age one. They offer many services to support pregnant moms and to help new babies get the very best start in life! The services include:

Free pregnancy testing: We provide free pregnancy tests and referral to prenatal care, as needed. Pregnant client will receive prenatal vitamins and written verification of the test result.

Health Insurance: Often pregnant women do not start prenatal care early because they are not insured. We enroll pregnant mothers in the Illinois insurance program, Moms & Babies, including the immediate, temporary insurance card called Medically Presumptive Eligibility (MPE for short), and applications for other children and parents in the family.

Medical "Homes": Often pregnant women do not start prenatal care early because they do not have a medial provider. We schedule appointments for these pregnant women with doctors who accept Medicaid. We also refer the new baby to a pediatrician who accepts the AllKids insurance. This doctor is the family’s medical "home" for well baby care, immunizations, sick care, doctor’s advice on the phone, and even for hospital care.

Prenatal and Infant Health Education Services: We refer clients to several different child birth education programs countywide. We also teach mothers how to stay healthy during pregnancy, how to be ready for labor & delivery, and how to keep new babies healthy with well child visits and immunizations.

Ongoing Support: One person will be assigned to each pregnant woman and mom to provide ongoing support and answer any questions until the new baby’s first birthday. This assures that each family gets the service they need! Our team tries to be where mothers are — and may be seen at the Health Department, other agencies, in the home, or at the doctor’s office.

Basic Needs: We give referrals and directions to other programs so families can get items they need to be safe and healthy — baby items, housing, counseling, and food pantries.

Screenings: We screen for the growth and development of babies and refer them to the proper agency for further testing and/or treatment if necessary. A depression screening is also done on all pregnant women to help detect any emotional problems she may be having.

The Teen Parent Services (TPS) program is for Kane County teenagers who are 19 years of age or younger at the time of referral and are either pregnant or a parent (single or married). They need to receive TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) or AllKids Assistance (MANG-Medical Card), and have not yet graduated from high school or received a GED.

<<< link to TPS Page

WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Those who qualify for WIC may include: a pregnant woman, a breastfeeding mother, or children up to age five. WIC helps parents to feed their children by providing supplemental food coupons to ensure proper growth and development.

Our Nurses, Registered Dietitians, and nutritionists provide education in the following areas: Nutrition education, Breastfeeding support, Nutritious foods, Referrals to other services

Nutrition education continues through scheduled classes or one-on-one instruction for breastfeeding mothers or infants. We also provide breastfeeding support through our certified breastfeeding counselors.

The Kane County Health Department offers WIC services at our 1240 N. Highland location in Aurora, as well as Aunt Martha’s Health Center in Aurora, for pregnant women and their children until age one. Referrals are also made to other WIC programs in Aurora.

Annual household income must be within WIC guidelines to qualify.