Learning and Leading...read about NYC Health Department initiatives that reach beyond NYC. Click Here
Helping First Time Moms Succeed
Becoming a parent for the first time can be exciting, but it can also be a time of uncertainty and fear as expectant mothers wonder, "How will I care for my baby? Will it be healthy? How will I support my new family?" The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is a nationwide, evidence-based, nurse home visiting program that was developed to help first-time, low-income mothers have a healthy pregnancy and baby, build a strong support network of family and friends, and set their own life goals, including continuing their education and finding a job. The NFP model has been proven to reduce rates of child abuse, arrests, smoking and alcohol consumption for mothers and their children, and increase positive outcomes such as healthier pregnancies, time between births, and mothers transitioning off welfare. The success of the NFP model in giving new families a better start led New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to identify the program as a key feature of the city's agenda to combat poverty.
The NYC Health Department is responsible for overseeing NYC NFP. The program launched in Queens in 2003 and has grown to seven sites across all five boroughs, all located in the neighborhoods with the greatest need. Since its inception, NYC NFP has served over 8,000 families.
FPHNY has been working with the NYC Health Department to support the NFP program in NYC since 2005, when private foundation dollars helped fund the program's expansion to Brooklyn. FPHNY currently manages $2.1 million in private foundation funding to support the following projects:
Targeted Citywide Initiative: To reach families with the greatest need for the program, the NYC Health Department worked with David Olds, the founder of NFP, to create a unique team called the Targeted Citywide Initiative (TCI). TCI nurses work with women and adolescents who are homeless, in detention, or in foster care. Private foundation funding has supported the expansion from one team to two teams of TCI nurses focusing on these high-risk populations.
Clinical Rotation Program for Nursing Students: To partner more closely with NYC nursing schools as well as increase the potential nursing cadre for NYC NFP, private foundation funding supported the creation of a clinical rotation program in 2010. The program exposes nursing students to the NFP model while assisting nursing schools by providing clinical placements for their students. The placements serve to enhance students' awareness of and interest in NFP as well as in the field of public health nursing.
Community Relations Manager: Private foundation funding supports the position of the Community Relations Manager, who works to increase NYC NFP’s ties to and visibility within the larger community in order to establish community, city- and statewide champions and supporters for NYC NFP. In this capacity, the Community Relations Manager oversees communications and media relations, and fosters relationships with key personnel in NYC NFP’s partner organizations and health and social service agencies, as well as with legislators and other stakeholders.
Medicaid Implementation: NYC NFP was approved to bill Medicaid for its services in April of 2010. Private funding currently supports a Medicaid Implementation Specialist who provides training and technical assistance on Medicaid billing to the seven NYC NFP program sites across the city.
Heart's Desire Scholarship Fund: The Heart's Desire Scholarship Fund was created to help NYC NFP clients achieve self-sufficiency by alleviating financial barriers to furthering their education and/or returning to the workforce. Private foundation funding supports awards to clients that help them pay for tuition and books to further their education, as well as other resources that help them build self-sufficiency.
Nurses’ Heart’s Desire Fund: The Nurses’ Heart’s Desire Fund provides scholarships to NYC NFP nurses to support efforts to enhance their professional skills and abilities through academic pursuits and professional conferences and certifications. The project aims to support and retain nurses in the NYC NFP program.
Client Enrichment Groups: Private foundation funding supports group meetings and activities that provide a support system for NYC NFP clients and create opportunities to introduce them to additional educational and resource-related topics.
Click here to read more NFP updates