Maternity Support Services and Infant Case Management

Pregnant? Looking for help?

Maternity Support Services (MSS) helps women have healthy pregnancies. Working with your MSS care team, you’ll receive health education and counseling during your pregnancy and until your baby turns two months old. MSS provides:

• Regular visits in the clinic
• Home visits for special concerns
• Support beyond your doctor or midwife, including nurses, nutritionists, social workers and community health workers
• Referrals to OB care, WIC, health insurance and other community resources

MSS is part of the First Steps Program and is available to pregnant women through Medicaid.

Learn more about MSS (PDF)

Resources:

• Breastfeeding resources
• Child health care clinics
• Community Health Centers
• Prenatal care clinics for pregnant women
• First Steps
• MOMS Plus
• Nurse Family Partnership
• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) services

MSS locations:

• Auburn Public Health Center
• Columbia Public Health Center (South Seattle)
• Downtown Public Health Center (Seattle)
• Eastgate Public Health Center (Bellevue/Factoria)
• Federal Way Public Health Center
• Birch Creek Public Health Center (Kent)
• Kent Public Health Center at East Hill
• North Public Health Center (North Seattle)
• Northshore Public Health Center (Bothell)
• Renton Public Health Center
• White Center Public Health Center

Referring for Public Health Nursing services:

Public Health nurses (PHNs) work in a number of programs serving Medicaid eligible pregnant and parenting clients in King County. PHNs provide information & counseling around health concerns, pregnancy and child health, and linkage to community resources. PHNs provide services at the health clinic or on a limited basis, on home visits.

Home Visit services are prioritized to Medicaid eligible clients at highest risk for poor health outcomes and based on PHN resource capacity. Home visiting is offered in the following programs:

• MSS and ICM: targeted to the most vulnerable clients with health risks
  
  
• Nurse Family Partnership: visits to first time pregnant women (< = 26 weeks gestation) and their infants until age 2. Within Seattle city limits there is no age restriction; for those living in King county, age is < 23 years.
  
  
• Children with Special Health Care Needs: telephonic and home visits to infants under age 1 for connection to a medical home and specialty medical services.

Download and complete a fillable PDF form to make a referral for PH Nursing home visit services.

Download instructions for completing the referral form.

Research has shown that women who get into prenatal care early, and who receive adequate prenatal care, have healthier pregnancies and healthier babies. Without Maternity Support Services, many low income pregnant women would not access prenatal care until later in their pregnancy—some would not access prenatal care at all.

Maternity Support Services prevents an estimated $5.3 million in hospital costs in Washington state each year by reducing the number of babies born with low birth weight. Learn more.