NEW ULM — Brown County commissioners learned of a new jail practices model program during the Brown County Public Health evaluation of maternal child health programs Tuesday.

Brown County Public Health Director Jaimee Brand said the evaluation provides staff and community partners a chance to review and evaluate annual accomplishments.

Maternal Child Health (MCH) Supervisor Melissa Hoffmann said MCH program includes family home visits, a follow along program (that helps parents track their child’s development and lets them know if they are growing and behaving like other children the same age), child and teen checkups, universal contact (pregnancy care) home visits, school health, child care consultations and the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP).

Accomplishments last year included 678 visits to pregnant and postpartum mothers and families with children up to age three. There were 93 car seat education appointments.

There were 6,671 Brown County students were seen in the school health offices.

Training was provided to school staff on diabetes management, seizure conditions, asthma, anaphylaxis, blood-borne pathogens and first aid.

Free blood pressures checks were provided in the public health office and at community events.

New programs included lunch table initiatives for 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students in Springfield.

Topics were kindness and compassion, gratitude, limiting social media/electronics use, current feelings, describing what a healthy relationship looks like and boundaries.

“The goal is to help students build meaningful relationships and understand mental health. We’re planning to expand this and offer it to more schools this fall,” said Brand.

She said the public health education planner is partnering with nearly all county high schools to offer vaping education in health classes.

Last summer, public health partnered with Flandrau State Park and the Sleepy Eye Water Park to offer water safety and sun safety education to all ages and families.

A new model jail practices program is being created this year.

“Two maternal child health nurses will be trained to provide evidence-based curriculum called ‘Parenting Inside Out’ for families impacted by incarceration (jail time),” Brand said.

“The goal is to provide education in the Brown County Jail and expand it to a community setting with community partners like Ivy House and NUMAS Haus (community shelters for homeless women and children) for referrals from families interested in participating in the program,” she added.

Brand said public health is also working closely with jail administration to provide updates on waiting and visiting spaces at the jail, make spaces more open to families during visiting hours.