Bureau of Family Health
The Bureau of Family Health is a section of the Louisiana Department of Health. The Bureau administers programs that work to advance the health and well-being of women, children, adolescents, and families throughout the state. Find out which programs and services may be most helpful for you at PartnersforFamilyHealth.org.
The Louisiana Child Care Health Consultant (LACCHC) program trains health professionals to become Child Care Health Consultants. Learn more at PartnersforFamilyHealth.org.
Learn more about the Bureau of Family Health’s family support and coaching services, which are offered through our Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, at PartnersforFamilyHealth.org.
Learn more about the Bureau of Family Health’s SIDS Risk Reduction and Safe Sleep Campaign, known as Give Your Baby Space, at PartnersforFamilyHealth.org.
The Bureau of Family Health is engaged in mortality surveillance to prevent fatalities and promote the health of Louisiana’s families. The Bureau of Family Health’s mortality surveillance systems are managed by a team of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Coordinators.
Learn more at PartnersforFamilyHealth.org.
Reproductive Health Program
The Reproductive Health Program provides reproductive health resources and services for men and women. Through a network of clinics, the program provides disease screening, health education, counseling, and contraceptive methods.
The Reproductive Health Program’s consumer website has information on their services as well as tools for reproductive life planning, contraceptive method selection, and Louisiana resources for reproductive health.
The Bureau of Family Health’s Epidemiology Program, known as the Data to Action Team, collects, links, analyzes, and interprets data related to women, children, and families. The team works to:
- Monitor health and well-being among Louisiana’s women, children, and families
- Guide program planning and evaluation
- Inform health and other public policy initiatives
- Evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of health services
- Support public health research
- Translate objective data to inform actions
Epidemiologists analyze statewide, regional, and local-level data, and work with the communications team to create shareable data products, including reports, fact sheets and infographics. You can find and download these data products using the Partners for Family Health Data Center.
The Gift is an evidence-based hospital designation program for Louisiana birthing facilities designed to increase breastfeeding rates and hospital success. Learn more at PartnersforFamilyHealth.org.
Louisiana Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring (PRAMS) System
Louisiana PRAMS is an ongoing, population-based risk factor surveillance system to describe select maternal behaviors and experiences that occur before and during pregnancy, as well as during a child’s early infancy. Louisiana PRAMS is a cooperative effort between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Louisiana Department of Health.
Learn more at PartnersforFamilyHealth.org.
Partners for Healthy Babies (PHB) is a statewide project that links women and families to the medical, financial and social services they need to be healthy and have healthy babies. Learn more at PartnersforFamilyHealth.org.
PHB Program Background
Partners for Healthy Babies launched in 1993 in an effort to address Louisiana’s high infant mortality rate and the large percentage of low birthweight babies (babies born weighing less than 5.5 lbs). The program is administered by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health, Bureau of Family Health in partnership with the Louisiana WIC program.
The Louisiana Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Educator Program seeks to build community awareness around ACEs, trauma, and resilience science across the state via a robust and well-informed network of trained educators. Learn more at PartnersforFamilyHealth.org.
What is LAPEN?
The Louisiana Parenting Education Network (LAPEN) is a program administered by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals’ Bureau of Family Health. It is a professional association for parenting educators in Louisiana, and is composed of professionals from
various backgrounds and training who share a common interest in providing high quality parenting education.
The mission of LAPEN is to guide and empower educators to provide effective parenting education and support services throughout the state.
What do Parenting Educators do?
Parenting educators support parents and caregivers, and help them gain the knowledge and skills they need to nurture the healthy physical, cognitive and emotional development of their children.
Resources for Parenting Educators
| Regional Trainings and Continuing Education | LAPEN develops and promotes trainings and continuing education for parenting educators across the state. In collaboration with the LSU School of Social Work, LAPEN administers the Certificate in Parenting Education program, which provides foundational knowledge in the delivery of parenting education services. LAPEN also sponsors an annual one-day Summit for Parenting Educators throughout the state. |
| Core Competencies | Nine competency areas for parenting educators adopted by LAPEN help standardize professional development goals, set assessment and evaluation measures, and communicate the goals of parenting education to caregivers and partner programs. |
| Professional Development Portfolio | An online tool helps educators keep track of their training and professional development experiences related to the core competencies. |
| Parenting Educator Registry | A searchable online database facilitates communication among parenting educators, links parent education programs, and provides a means to identify parenting educators by their location, training and areas of expertise. |
| Email Network | Regular emails provide information and updates on national and local trainings for parenting educators, parenting education resources and the field of parenting education. To join, contact lapen@selahec.org. |
For more information about LAPEN, contact Lenell Young, LAPEN Director, at Lenell.Young@LA.GOV or
225-218-5657.
The Bureau of Family Health’s administers the following programs designed to address special health needs for children and families.
The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf provides accessibility services for persons whom are Deaf, deaf-blind, or have hearing loss or speech impairment to gain equal access to any public or private service.
The Louisiana Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program is designed to reduce child and youth disability and death due to severe illness or injury. The goals are to ensure that state-of-the-art emergency medical care is available for all ill or injured children and adolescents; that pediatric services are well integrated into an emergency medical services (EMS) system; and that the entire spectrum of emergency services, including primary prevention of illness and injury, acute care, and rehabilitation, are provided to children and adolescents.