But most would agree, without a place to call home, being a good mom can be very difficult. She will offer her personal view of the success of this program and her hopes for the cooperative effort. UAMS Chancellor Harry P. Ward, M.D., will answer questions about the program's history and growth. She credits the program with saving her life and states she is blessed to have two healthy children and a community that cares. This program deals with the life-threatening risk factors of poverty, family conflict and drug behavior.
Mothers learn parenting and employment skills and receive on-site healthcare.
Participating mothers have reduced alcohol and drug use, experienced births with fewer complications, decreased hospital days at delivery, decreased arrests and increased employment. Participating mothers report decreased depression and decreased parenting stress. For their infants, child abuse and neglect have decreased, and growth and development have improved. Older children show increased ability to resist using drugs or alcohol. A 1991 study showed that 11 percent of pregnant women receiving prenatal care or delivery services at UAMS Medical Center tested positive for illicit drug use.