The Hood River County Health Department has expanded home visitation services for new parents and their children.  Home Visiting Nurse Kate Karlson says they have received funding through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program to open up access to their current home visiting program so there is not an insurance requirement, allowing anyone to take advantage.  One program is “Babies First,” which includes home visiting for pregnant women through one year after birth, and for the children until they are five.  There is also the “Cocoon” program for care coordination for families of children with special needs, and in-home lactation support is also available.  The department is also offering a meet-up group for mothers at Pine Grove School two Wednesday afternoons a month from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. beginning on September 16.  It will be a drop-in event with no registration needed.  For more information, call the Hood River County Health Department at 541-386-1115.