Thank you for your interest in the Family Connects newborn home visiting program. The program is a unique evidence-based, universal approach to supporting newborns and their families. Using a tested screening assessment tool, Family Connects assesses family strengths and needs in order to linking families to community resources. Unlike targeted longer term home visiting programs, which use demographic risk to determine services, Family Connects’ families are only offered services they need, regardless of demographic risk. In some cases, Family Connects recommends enrollment in targeted programs when they are eligible, such as Healthy Families America, Early Head Start, Nurse Family Partnership, and others. This linkage makes the Family Connects an excellent gateway to more intensive parenting services.
The goals of Family Connects are:
- Connect with every mother (along with the father and other family supports) in their home after the birth of a newborn. The nurse home visits are designed to share the joy of a new baby, assess unique family risks and needs, and respond to immediate family needs for support and guidance.
- Nurse visitors offer supportive guidance in several factors, responding specifically to family questions about newborn care.
- Nurse home visitors are able to connect families to community services well matched to their needs and preferences, based on individually identified vulnerabilities.
- The projected outcome is to connect new parents with their infant with the confidence and support needed for infant and parent health, mental health, child development, and overall well-being for the family.
For more information please visit the Family Connects website.
