COMMUNITY AND PARTICIPANTS

MIHOW programs serve families in rural and inner city areas throughout the mid-South, including Appalachia and the deep South. The program started in rural Appalachia, serving two culturally distinct communities: Caucasians and African-Americans. The program now includes urban communities in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, Wheeling, West Virginia, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, which feature a more ethnically diverse population of Latino, Asian, and European immigrants.

The target population is pregnant women and families with young children (birth to three) who are economically disadvantaged and geographically and/or socially isolated. Most participants learn about the program from friends or neighbors. Outreach workers also seek out prospective participants by establishing relationships with community organizations that are serving families in need.