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Better worlds start with great families: Nurse-Family Partnership

The birth of a first child can lead to many questions for new parents: How will my life change? Who will help me? Can I afford this? Can I do this? Nurse-Family Partnership is a community health program with 45 years of research showing significant improvements in the health and lives of first-time moms and their children affected by social and economic inequality. Specially trained registered nurses provide support, information and resources to help families build the lives they want for themselves and their children.

La Plata County Public Health Department’s Nurse-Family Partnership has served 55 families and completed 365 visits in La Plata, Archuleta and San Juan counties since becoming a new department on Jan. 1. Participants must meet income and education eligibility guidelines, as well as be pregnant with a first child or have a first child less than 1 month old to enroll.

Nurses partner with first-time moms and families. Visits can be held in the home or a location that feels comfortable to the family and generally occur two times a month, but frequency can change based on individual needs and schedule. An expectant parent can receive information about nutrition, building supportive relationships, childbirth and what to expect when baby arrives. This support helps expectant parents navigate the emotional and physical changes of pregnancy and beyond.

Once the infant is born, this partnership can continue until the child’s 2nd birthday. The nurse and parent work together to assess the child’s growth and development and find strategies to encourage new skills. Possible discussions may include sleep concerns, setting up a safe space for a child, language development and navigating community services.

“As an NFP nurse, I enjoy the opportunity to establish strong, trusting relationships with first-time moms. Becoming a parent is one of the most challenging, yet most rewarding, times in your life and all new moms need a strong support system,” says Jenn Heath from La Plata County Public Health. “I enjoy partnering with these moms to being able to offer whatever support they may need. Sometimes this might be offering parenting tips or ideas, education on growth and development or just being there to lend an ear or offer words of encouragement. Being an NFP nurse is one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had.”

Parents also receive support in developing a vision for their own future and with developing individual or family goals. Small goals may include taking steps to improve health by lowering stress, going for walks or finding a relaxing hobby. Bigger goals could be planning for continued education or finding employment. The next step would be helping identify the support systems needed to reach these goals such as family, friends or community partners. NFP nurses encourage parents to decide what is most important to them and their growing family.

La Plata County Public Health Department’s Michelle McBrien says, “As an NFP nurse, I feel so fortunate to be able to support new families from pregnancy through the huge changes that happen in the first two years of their first child’s life. Having the opportunity to work so closely with the families is a dream as a nurse because I can truly offer a holistic approach by being a partner in their journey. I can offer guidance as they make decisions regarding how they want to parent and how to maintain or improve their own health and care for and meet the health needs of their child.”

NFP serves families in 40 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and some tribal communities. The three goals of NFP are to improve pregnancy outcomes, improve child health and development, and improve economic self-sufficiency of the family. Three randomized controlled trials demonstrated positive results of healthier pregnancies; reduction in child abuse and neglect; improvements in cognitive and language development; and fewer childhood injuries creating cost-saving outcomes to government and society. Stable, responsive, nurturing relationships in the earliest years provide life-long benefits. NFP is also available in all 64 counties in Colorado. If a family moves before the child turns 2 years old within Colorado or to an area outside Colorado where NFP is available, they can continue visits with a new nurse, making the transition a little easier.

For more information, visit www.nursefamilypartnership.org or www.lpcpublichealth.org.

Danette Jackson, RN, BSN, is the Nurse-Family Partnership supervisor at the La Plata County Public Health Department. Reach her at 828-8812 or danettejackson@lpcgov.org for more information.