Cradle Cincinnati Connections, a neighborhood-based approach to reducing infant death, is expanding its services to North College Hill and Winton Hills.
This team of community health workers, social workers, a health educator and nurse case managers connects women with the services they need – from housing assistance and depression screenings to breastfeeding support and access to cribs and diapers – and fills systems gaps that families encounter. Cradle Cincinnati Connections serves pregnant women and families under the age of 2.
“Our goal is to provide women the support they need to reduce stress and have healthy pregnancies. We’re excited to be a part of the North College Hill and Winton Hills communities and want moms to know that they have a trusted partner in their health and well-being as well as that of their babies. We want moms be their healthiest by addressing those issues most important to them.” – Patrice Pennington, manager of the North College Hill Cradle Cincinnati Connections team
Since spreading to these neighborhoods, the Connections team has been busy forming partnerships with neighborhood organizations (such as North College Hill High School, WIC and the police and fire departments), volunteering at community events and most importantly, meeting families.
“Cradle Cincinnati Connections cares about the families they serve. The team is really concerned about the safety of infants and making sure moms are educated about what’s best for them and their babies. Connections keeps you connected to resources for your family.” – said Catherine Houston, North College Hill resident
This expansion is modeled on the StartStrong project, which addressed the holistic needs of Avondale moms in order to improve birth outcomes. Between 2015 and 2017 in Avondale, there were no extreme preterm births, the leading cause of local infant death.
In addition to directly serving families, the North College Hill team is developing opportunities for women to gather together and support one another. This will take many forms and will be guided by the newly established community advisory board, composed of North College Hill women. Cradle Cincinnati Connections will also launch “feasts,” where healthcare providers and community members share meals together in informal and non-medical settings.
Their new office is located in Clovernook’s Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired on 7000 Hamilton Avenue. You can get in touch with the team by emailing patrice.pennington@cchmc.org or calling (513) 987-6587.