Let's quickly re-visit this case introduced in Module 5.

The Challenge

Yolanda is a public health nurse working for a health unit in a large urban centre in Ontario. Her challenge is to provide educational opportunities for expectant and new mothers to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to give their children a healthy start in life. Many of these parents are considered "at-risk" because they face barriers to good health such as low-income, social isolation and limited employment skills.

Action Taken

Yolanda coordinates a program that offers pre- and post-natal classes for parents and caregivers. Through this program, she works closely with a group of outreach workers who are community parents living in the area.

Participants meet every week. At the end of each class, participants identify the topics they want addressed at the next session. In response to their information needs, Yolanda covers topics such as the birthing process, breastfeeding, healthy eating during and after pregnancy, smoking, drugs, alcohol, healthy child development, making baby food, and parenting skills. To ensure that participants have adequate resources to meet their nutritional needs, food and milk vouchers are provided. Participants are reimbursed for their transportation costs to and from the classes. The program also provides access to childcare so participants can attend the classes.

But the story does not end there….

Now let's see what happens as Yolanda and the community broaden their definition of the problem and tackle new health issues.

The Challenge

While the women were satisfied with the classes, there was a growing concern that other important health issues in the community were not being addressed. Over time, discussions held during the classes focused on other barriers to health faced by participants and their families, such as a lack of recreation facilities for young children and a shortage of affordable day care spaces. While many of the women expressed their need to get a job and support their families once their children were old enough, they were concerned that barriers such as a lack of proficiency in English and a lack of job training programs in the community would limit their ability to do so.