by Colin Lovett, PICurrent Managing Producer
As we launch our new online series “Diary of a Single Mom”, I’d like to take some time to tip my hat to a group that is doing amazing work with women just like the ones in the show.
Imagine being a young single mom with little money and huge new responsibilities. The words scarred, stressed and overwhelmed come to mind. Young, low-income families are among the most vulnerable people in our country and they are often overlooked. So any attempt to help is wanted. But help with proven results is really wanted.
And that is exactly what The Nurse Family Partnership provides.
Based in Denver, the group uses what is called evidence-based practices to provide home nursing visits to low-income new parents. Evidence based is just a fancy term for being able to prove it works.
The News and Observer newspaper quotes Robin Britt, executive director of Guilford Child Development, as saying the program it has cut the number of expectant mothers experiencing violence, gotten more women to quit smoking during pregnancy, and improved the language scores of toddlers, among other achievements.
At its core, registered nurses visit these young families with a goal of education and empowerment. Some of the things they do include:
- Help families obtain prenatal care from their physician
- Help reduce the use of cigarettes, alcohol and illegal drugs
- Teach young moms to be about healthy nutrition during pregnancy
- Help parents provide more better care of their children in the first two years of life
- Teach parents safe and consistent practices of child discipline
- Help mothers continue their education and reach their educational goals
- Help mothers find adequate employment
And the best thing is, the data says the program works! To find out more about the Nurse-Family Partnership program, call toll free at 866.864.5226, or send email to info@nursefamilypartnership.org
