Celebrating Moms and Nurses: Introducing the Nurse-Family Partnership
This article is part of a series taking a close look at organizations chosen for donations from our teammate and founder, Kenji. For more information on his donation, check out “Our Founder’s Response to COVID-19.”
In honor of both Mother’s Day and National Nurses Week, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate moms, nurses, and, of course, those who are both. Thank you for all that you do!
We also couldn’t think of a better time to introduce the national Nurse-Family Partnership® program and the amazing nurses empowering vulnerable first-time moms to create better futures for themselves and their babies. The FamilyAlbum team is proud to support these nurses as they continue to provide high-quality care during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
How It Works
After enrolling, expecting moms are connected with a registered nurse. The nurse regularly visits the mom-to-be in her home, providing expert medical information and advice from pregnancy through the child’s second birthday. The Nurse-Family Partnership also encourages dads and other family members to participate.
The program has three goals: better pregnancy outcomes, healthy child development, and economic self-sufficiency for families. The holistic approach includes opportunities for stability and self-sufficiency for the mom. Moms are encouraged to set personal goals to continue their education and pursue their career aspirations. Nurses help each mom recognize her own strengths and gain confidence in becoming a successful mom.
Helping Vulnerable Moms During a Pandemic
The transition to motherhood for low-income, first-time moms is difficult under normal circumstances. Now, these moms are facing job loss, disruption of essential support programs, unstable housing, and mental health risks including stress, anxiety, and fear.
Some Nurse-Family Partnership moms spend hours trying unsuccessfully to sign up for unemployment benefits. Others receive notices from landlords demanding rent despite eviction bans. Nurse Kim, a nurse with the Nurse-Family Partnership in Detroit, said that many of the moms she serves don’t have access to transportation and have trouble getting food for their families. She also worries about the negative impact of isolation on mental health.
“I’ve found that each mom has different needs, different technologies, different spaces,” she said. “No matter what the moms need, we’re meeting them where they are.”
Nurse-Family Partnership nurses across the country continue to provide tenacious support and resources to new moms. When phone and video calls replaced home visits, nurses struggled to remain in contact with moms who didn’t have phones. The program quickly partnered with Verizon to provide moms with free iPhones, data plans, and minutes to stay connected with their nurse. Now all Nurse-Family Partnership moms can contact their nurse, and their nurses can continue to provide guidance and support when they need it most.
FamilyAlbum and the Nurse-Family Partnership
“The dedication shown by Nurse-Family Partnership nurses is truly inspiring,” said our teammate and founder, Kenji. “As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, these nurses are providing not only the highest level of clinical care and support, but also a critical link between families and essential community resources. The FamilyAlbum team is honored to support their tireless commitment to vulnerable moms and babies.”
How to Get Involved
To find out more about the Nurse-Family Partnership and how to help nurses reach more families, visit https://www.nursefamilypartnership.org/.
If you or someone you know is 28 weeks pregnant or less with your first baby and would like to learn more about the program, visit https://www.nursefamilypartnership.org/nfp-moms/.