Home Visiting of Mecklenburg County LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS: Opportunities for Growth, Expansion & Building Infrastructure

2022 MECKLENBURG COUNTY HOME-VISITING SURVEY CATAWBA NATION
HOME-VISITING PROGRAM
Guided by the 2018 statewide home-visiting survey,
SSMC presented a draft survey to GMB participants
who reviewed and included edits or additions to ensure
we would capture information relative to Mecklenburg
County. This was the first time a survey related to home
visiting was distributed to local home visiting program
organizations.
Data from seven reporting agencies 15 indicates just
over 1,000 families are being served, which equates to
just 7% of the live births in Mecklenburg County.
Figure 5: County mapping of community based home visiting programs
Given that home-visiting programs are designed to
support families during the crucial early years of a
child’s life, the relatively low percentage of families
being served highlights the need for increased efforts
to grow and expand the reach and accessibility of
these services, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19
pandemic.
Only
7%
of eligible families
being served in
Mecklenburg County
In 2022, Catawba Nation received a five-year, development
and implementation grant from the U.S. Department of
Health & Human Services (DHHS) to create the Nuti Yapę
(Morning Sun) Tribal Home-Visiting Program.
During the first 15 months of the grant period, Catawba
Nation undertook a comprehensive community needs and
readiness assessment, which included capacity-building,
program planning and design. The next steps will be to select
an approved DHHS model that allows for flexibility to meet
the cultural needs of tribal families, and then to design the
program activities.
Nuti Yapę will serve indigenous families from state and
federally recognized tribes in six counties in South
Carolina (York, Union, Fairfield, Chester,
Lancaster, and Kershaw) and seven counties in
North Carolina (Cleveland, Catawba, Gaston,
Mecklenburg, Rowan, Cabarrus, and Union).
While capacity is increasing within the
program, families within an approximate
30 minute driving radius from the Catawba
Reservation will be prioritized.
The target population will be prenatal
through age 3 initially. Once the Family Spirit
curriculum for ages 3-5 have completed their
pilots in Indigenous communities, the Nuti Yapę
program will expand to age 5. In Mecklenburg County alone,
there are nearly 9,000 indigenous people, including nearly
600 children under 5.
Data collected from a community survey, stakeholder
interviews, and four talking circles (focus groups) indicate the
following common themes:
1. Postpartum depression is common. Half of mothers
surveyed experienced postpartum depression with at
least one of their pregnancies, and most received no
support during this time.
2. Substance abuse is also a significant concern. Substance
use is a symptom of the effects of historical trauma.
Unfortunately, citizens of the Catawba Nation have
not been spared these effects of historical and ongoing
racism and trauma. Families have been impacted by
these effects and on the Catawba Reservation, many
grandparents are raising their grandchildren due to the
parents having substance use problems.
3. Catawba Nation has experienced a loss of community
and connection to culture, especially during the
Covid-19 pandemic. However, community leaders are
working to restore a sense of community and help its
members reconnect to their culture. Connection to
culture is a significant protective factor for indigenous
families, especially during the perinatal period and
childrearing.
4. Indigenous moms also expressed interest in receiving
breastfeeding and lactation support. While a significant
number of women attempted to breastfeed, most
found it challenging and many stopped breastfeeding
as a result. A common theme noted was that most
were unable to access lactation support or education,
and these challenges often exacerbated postpartum
depression.
5. Finally, early literacy and kindergarten readiness need
to be addressed. On the Catawba Reservation, only 58%
of high school students graduate on time or receive a
GED. Historical trauma and ongoing trauma at school
play a significant role. The community has experienced
years of removal of tribal children from their homes;
often children were sent to boarding schools
or placed in the foster care system or for
adoption, as poverty was mistaken for
neglect. Segregation of schools has
had a lasting impact on the Catawba
Reservation. Elders and grandparents
alive today were segregated to an
“Indian School” and provided only an
eighth-grade education.
As part of the research conducted for the
needs assessment, the Catawba Nation began
to build relationships with other recognized
tribes in the Carolinas to learn about the unique
needs of those tribal citizens. For example, in North Carolina,
Native Americans have some of the worst outcomes
in premature births, low birthweight, infant mortality,
breastfeeding at hospital discharge, new HIV cases, teen
pregnancy, unemployment, violent death, and incarceration. 16
Native American families are living in poverty at significantly
higher rates than that the general population, with the
median household income in North Carolina being $68,900,
compared to a median household income of $39,600 for
indigenous people in the state. 17
The Home-Visiting Collaborative, led by SSMC, recognizes
the critical importance of expanding and enhancing homevisiting
programs throughout Mecklenburg County. The
Catawba Nation is embarking on an important mission
to improve the lives of indigenous families by offering
a culturally sensitive home-visiting program. We firmly
believe that by embracing this invaluable partnership, we
can tap into the vast knowledge and immense strengths that
resonate within indigenous communities, while serving as
a steadfast resource and partner to Catawba Nation’s Nuti
Yapę program.
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