Parenting a young child can be beautiful, messy, sweet, loud, and overwhelming. Little ones need a lot from us, and that can be a lot to hold. In all this busy, your mental health matters, too.
Mental health means how you are thinking, feeling, coping, and handling stress. Many parents feel tired, worried, sad, angry, alone, or stretched too thin. This does not mean you are a bad parent. It means you are human.
One simple way to check in with yourself is to complete a mental health screener. The screeners we use are the GAD-7, which looks at anxiety and worry, and the BDI-II, which looks at signs of depression.
A screener is not a test. You cannot fail it.
It does not label you. It is simply a snapshot of how you are doing right now. Like taking your temperature, it helps us notice what kind of support might help.
These screeners ask about real-life things many parents experience, such as worry, stress, sadness, low energy, sleep, overwhelm, and feeling alone. Your answers help me better understand what kind of support may fit you and your family best.
Taking care of your mental health is not selfish. It is part of caring for your child. You do not have to wait until things feel “bad enough.”
Results are kept private, and upon getting results, I will reach out to talk through your results and explore support options.
Along with your home visitor, I am here to support you!
April was Strengthening Families Month
April was a meaningful month for MSEHS as we celebrated Strengthening Families Month through home visits, playgroups, parenting classes, Parent Connect events, and community partnerships across our region.
Our staff proudly supported families through wellness services, parent engagement opportunities, and local events including diaper giveaways, food distributions, car seat safety checks, and family resource fairs—continuing our commitment to strengthening families every day of the year.
During April, our team:
Completed 127 home visits with 75 families
Hosted 13 playgroups with 27 participating families
Provided individualized support to 8 families through our mental health, health & safety, and perinatal/nutrition specialists
Offered Stewards of Children training to 5 families
Completed our 5-week Integrative Parenting 2.0 class with 16 families
Hosted a creative Parent Connect Fairy Garden event in Kellogg
Facilitated a Parent Café for staff and served as table hosts at a community Parent Café
Partnered in diaper drives, food giveaways, car seat safety checks, and family events across Kootenai, Bonner, and Shoshone Counties
Jannus Executive Director Darnisha Orcutt shared updates from the April Jannus board meeting and introduced Grant Manager Danielle Blumhardt, who is helping strengthen grant systems as federal funding becomes more competitive.
Two parent representatives from our Policy Council were invited to present at a Region 10 training, where they shared insights to help other Early Head Start programs strengthen parent engagement and Policy Council involvement.
We're enrolling families now
We are currently enrolling families! If you or someone you know is expecting a child or has a child up to 36 months, reach out to learn more about our free home-based program in Bonner, Shoshone and Kootenai counties.
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