Rice County Family Child Health Unit outlines home‑visiting, referrals and response to Faribault birth‑center closure

Deb Purfest opened a Family Child Health Unit briefing to the Rice County Board and introduced staffers who deliver home visiting, family planning and community outreach services. "We are gonna tell you a little bit about our services we have in the Family Child Health Unit," Purfest said, introducing Faye Schumacher and Krista Middleburg.

Faye Schumacher, identified in the presentation as the family child health supervisor, described staffing in the unit: six public health nurses, a health educator, and three community health workers (two Spanish‑speaking and one Somali‑speaking) who support evidence‑based and evidence‑influenced home visiting, family planning coordination and outreach. Ilwad (first name given in the presentation) coordinates the car seat program and the child and teen checkup coordination.

Krista Middleburg, the regional family home visiting coordinator, summarized the home‑visiting models and outcomes. Rice County uses two established models (referred to in the presentation as HFA and MESH), which include structured parenting curricula and screenings for caregiver mental health, intimate partner violence and child development. Middleburg said visits may last up to two to three years depending on the model; staff also provide lower‑frequency, evidence‑influenced visits for families unable to meet strict program enrollment requirements.

Staff cited program outcomes and 2025 referral activity: 322 referrals for 287 clients and more than 500 outbound referrals to community partners (ECFE, early intervention, school readiness programs, food shelves). Presenters said 100% of participating families had a designated well‑child provider; roughly 80% of children enrolled in home‑visiting were up to date on recommended immunizations compared with about 60% countywide for ages 2–3 in 2024, per Minnesota Department of Health figures cited by staff.

Presenters described other services: community baby groups in Northfield and Faribault, a car seat program with multilingual technicians, the Minnesota Follow Along developmental questionnaires (ages 2 months to 3 years), and an MDH‑funded family planning program for income‑eligible uninsured or underinsured clients offering exams, STI testing/treatment and contraception with clinic and pharmacy contracts.

Staff flagged a recent service gap: the closing of the birth center in Faribault. They described outreach to nearby birth centers, including a meeting with Owatonna Hospital staff, to improve prenatal referral pathways and increase prenatal enrollment in home visiting. Middleburg said prenatal enrollment in the program has ranged from about 23% to 43% over the last five years and staff view about 50% prenatal enrollment as a target to improve outcomes.

Commissioners thanked staff for the presentation and work; no formal action or vote was recorded during the work session. Staff offered to return or provide additional information as needed.