Deschutes Co. program helps new mothers
When a young woman becomes pregnant before she’s ready to take care of a child, the risk factors for the entire family escalate. She may have a family background of low wages, welfare, or worse — a pattern that, without intervention, she may be fated to repeat.
The Deschutes County Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program can help young mothers succeed as new parents.
The goals of NFP include helping women engage in good preventive health practices, helping parents provide responsible health and development care for their children, and helping them to improve the self-sufficiency of their family. The program is free to all eligible women in Deschutes County who are pregnant with their first child.
These goals are reached through the care of trusted, respected Deschutes County Public Health nurses. A nurse brings specialized healthcare knowledge to and spends time with the families she cares for. This relationship of trust makes a significant difference for local families.
NFP succeeds because expectant mothers are provided with a relationship they can count on-a committed and compassionate nurse who makes regular home visits over a period of time of 30 months, from before birth until the baby is two years-old.
Nurse-Family Partnerships is an evidence-based community health program with three decades of research proving it works. At its heart, the program empowers women to change their families’ lives for the better.
To find out more about the Deschutes County Health Services Nurse-Family Partnerships program, please call (541) 322-7499 or visit www.nursefamilypartnership.org .
