GOSHEN — EDITOR’S NOTE: Over the next several days The Goshen News will run a series of articles highlighting Week of Compassion. Two women featured in the following story asked not to be identified.



Two life-changing events occurred last December for a 39-year-old Goshen woman: She and her husband lost their jobs and health insurance and two weeks later she learned she was pregnant.

“We had hoped to one day have children,” she said, “but this was unexpected.”

With all the uncertainty accompanying her situation, she sought assistance from the Healthy Babies program offered by the Elkhart County Health Department, located in the county office building in Goshen, 117 N. Second St.

“They helped us out by enrolling us in Medicaid and the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program, and set us up with a doctor,” she said.

Because this was her first child, she also attended classes on topics including breastfeeding and food.

“Everybody was very helpful,” she said.

She later gave birth to a healthy baby girl and her husband found a job and started work in April.

A lifeline

A 43-year-old Goshen woman, who lost her insurance and had never been involved with a government assistance program, called the Healthy Babies program her “lifeline.”

“I was sitting in the welfare office, bawling my eyes out,” she explained, “when I called the Healthy Babies program.”

The staffers then assisted her in getting on Medicaid, which she said was very helpful since she hadn’t been in the system before.

Because of her age and medical issues, she knew her pregnancy was high risk. Healthy Babies personnel also found a doctor for her and enrolled her in the WIC program. She said Healthy Babies also coordinates with other agencies in the community.

“They’re a wonderful, wonderful organization,” she said.

Healthy Babies

Healthy Babies, which provides prenatal care coordination, and WIC, which provides nutrition assessment and counseling, food checks and referrals, comprise the “Healthy Beginnings” program offered by the Health Department, according to Jenny Schrock, division manager.

The Healthy Babies program is to empower women to have a healthy baby, Schrock said.

A total of 98 percent of the clients are eligible for Medicaid, and there is a sliding fee schedule for this program.

Schrock said the staff will work with the women throughout their pregnancy and connect them with a variety of services, including a physician, breastfeeding support, education, parenting skills and food pantries.

“We are blessed with a lot of services in the county,” Schrock said.

WIC program

The WIC program served 2,938 people in August, Schrock said. The grant program does not require a county funding match, and the money received for food are spent at local grocery stores.

Eligible for the program are pregnant women, new mothers and children under the age of 5. There are also income guidelines and there must be an identified nutritional risk, Schrock said.

Food assistance is provided at $50 a month per child and $60 a month for mothers, but the WIC program has targeted specific food items for purchase.

Schrock said WIC-approved foods include certain cold and hot cereal, bread, baby food, formula, milk, juice, cheese, fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, fish and eggs.

Breastfeeding encouraged

Nutritional support is also provided to clients, while counselors also encourage mothers to breastfeed their children.

“Breastfeeding saves money for the family and taxpayers,” Schrock said, noting breastfed infants have fewer medical problems and families don’t have to bear the cost of purchasing formula.

One calculation estimated that buying formula costs a family $95.34 per month or $1,839 per year. Statistics from the American Academy of Pediatrics indicate that a formula-fed infant costs the health care system between $331 and $475 more than a breastfed baby in the first year of life.

Schrock said representatives of the Indiana State Department of Health are working to promote breastfeeding, and are now providing funds for training. Staff members have participated in training as part of becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

“It feels like we’ve come a long way,” Schrock said.

Hospital officials are also working to encourage mothers to breastfeed, Schrock added.

She said the Goshen WIC program had 78 percent of infants breastfeeding compared to a statewide average of 64 percent.

Sometimes children involved in the WIC program are also referred to physicians because of medical needs. For instance, Schrock said that a boy with a blood disease and another child with juvenile diabetes were referred to doctors for treatment.