Nurse Family Partnership (NFP): Palm Beach

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

The Nurse Family Partnership program provides home visits by registered nurses to first-time mothers, beginning during pregnancy and continuing through the child's second birthday. The home visitors focus on improving maternal health, promoting competent parenting, and enhancing parental life-course development. Home visitors involve family members and friends in the program and help families to use other community health and human services. The program is designed to serve first-time mothers. It is particularly aimed at new mothers who have additional risk factors, such as low socioeconomic status, being unmarried, or being a young mother (under age 19).

This program is locally funded by Children Services Council of Palm Beach County.

Goal / Mission

The program has three primary goals:
1) to improve pregnancy outcomes by promoting health-related behaviors;
2) to improve child health, development and safety by promoting competent care-giving; and
3) to enhance parent life-course development by promoting pregnancy planning, educational achievement, and employment.

The program also has two secondary goals: to enhance families' material support by providing links with needed health and social services, and to promote supportive relationships among family and friends.

Impact

The Nurse Family Partnership Program has shown to improve pregnancy outcomes, improve child health and development, and increase economic self-sufficiency.

Results / Accomplishments

In the last three decades, extensive research has been conducted nationally of the Nurse-Family Partnership.

Consistent program effects have shown:
- Improved prenatal health
- Fewer childhood injuries
- Fewer subsequent pregnancies
- Increased intervals between births
- Increased maternal employment
- Improved school readiness

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Palm Beach County Health Department
Primary Contact
Theresa Kanter
Palm Beach County NFP
800 Clematis Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
1-561-671-4149
theresa.kanter@flhealth.gov
http://www.nursefamilypartnership.org/locations/Fl...
Topics
Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health
Health / Women's Health
Health / Family Planning
Organization(s)
Palm Beach County Health Department
Source
Children Services Council of Palm Beach County
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
West Palm Beach, FL
For more details
Target Audience
Women
Submitted By
Children Services Council of Palm Beach County