What is it?
The Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) is a community health program that supports and empowers vulnerable first-time mothers. The goal of the program is to keep children and mothers safe and healthy. NFP works by having specially trained nurses conduct regular visits to mothers at the start of their pregnancies and through their child’s second birthday. During pregnancy, mothers develop relationships with their nurses who become trusted advisors for their child-rearing journey.
What is the evidence base?
Mothers who participate in NFP have fewer arrests and are employed longer. In addition, mothers are less likely to have premature infants. Babies born to mothers in NFP have higher birth weights. Children demonstrate a decrease in language delays, child arrests, behavioral and intellectual problems, and emergency room visits for accidents and poisonings. Children also show improvements in their performance on standardized tests.
