Nurse-Family Partnership

What is Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP)?

The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program pairs first-time moms with a personal registered nurse to offer education and support during and after pregnancy, up until your child is two years of age. NFP nurses are specially trained to help you with topics including:

• Attachment to your baby
• Breastfeeding
• Child safety
• Going to work or back to work after baby
• Infant development
• Parenting
• Self-sufficiency

Who is Eligible for the Program?

You may qualify for the NFP program if you are all of the following:

• Have no history of previous live births
• Less than 28 weeks pregnant
• Income-eligible (you receive WIC and/or Medicaid)
• Living in one of the following Indiana counties: Greene, Lawrence, Monroe, Orange, Owen

If you qualify, there is no cost to participate in the program. IU Health Bloomington Nurse-Family Partnership is made possible through state of Indiana funding from 2018-2021.

How Does the Program Work?

You will be paired with a registered nurse before your 28th week of pregnancy and together you can decide on the best time and location to meet. Most families prefer to meet in their home. Your nurse will visit weekly for the first four weeks after your enrollment, and then every other week until your baby is born.

After your baby is born, the nurse will visit you weekly for the first six weeks, then every other week until your baby reaches 21 months. Then, visits occur monthly until a graduation on your baby’s second birthday. Your visiting schedule may vary, depending on your specific needs and what you decide on with your nurse. Fathers are encouraged to participate in visits, if appropriate.

Research-Based Results

The Nurse-Family Partnership model is based on over 30 years of evidence-based research. It is the only early childhood program which meets the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy’s “Top Tier” designation.

Research shows that the Nurse-Family Partnership program leads to healthier pregnancies, healthier babies and improved lives for mothers. Specifically, these outcomes include:

Healthier Pregnancies

• Reduced use of cigarettes, alcohol and illicit drugs
• Increased prenatal care
• Improved dietary and exercise habits
• Lower rates of pre-term labor and low birth weight
• Increased knowledge surrounding the labor and child-birth process
• Increased breastfeeding rates
• Increased knowledge regarding newborn care and safety
• Higher rates of family planning and birth control education following birth of child
• Decreased rate of neurodevelopmental defects

Healthier Babies

• Increased immunization rates
• Increased well-baby pediatrician visits
• Improved nutrition, health and growth and development education
• Improved child safety outcomes
• Reduction in child abuse and neglect rates
• Facilitated mother/child attachment activities
• Increased referrals to health and human service agencies

Healthier Mothers and Families

• Improved family planning measures with increased spacing between children
• Improved goal-setting for work and education with higher rates of employment for mother
• Increased knowledge of community resources
• Decreased reliance on governmental benefits programs such as Food Stamps/SNAP/TANF
• Increased father involvement with higher rates of marriage and co-living with father of child
• Decreased arrest rates and jail time

The Nurse-Family Partnership Mission

Our mission and vision echo that of Nurse-Family Partnership’s (NFP) national headquarters: To positively transform the lives of vulnerable, babies, mothers, and families while envisioning a future where all children are healthy, families thrive, communities prosper and the cycle of poverty is broken.

Community Advisory Board (CAB)

The IU Health Community Health Nurse-Family Partnership team has formed a Community Advisory Board to help ensure that the program can continue to serve families in our community. Represented by local community leaders, healthcare experts, and eventual former NFP clients, the goal of the CAB is to promote Nurse-Family Partnership programming in our five-county region.

Support the NFP Program

IU Health Bloomington Nurse-Family Partnership offers education and support to mothers, babies and families at no cost. Your support helps make this possible.

Community Resource Partnerships

Members of local community agencies based in one of the service areas (Greene, Lawrence, Monroe, Orange and Owen counties) are invited to collaborate with Bloomington Nurse-Family Partnership to help our families in need. Please call our office at 812.353.3200.

Donations

Material donations help provide education, safety, and social support initiatives for clients and their babies. Visit our Amazon Wish List by searching for “Nurse-Family Partnership” and look for Bloomington’s location. We also welcome new or gently used maternity clothes and baby clothing for our Clothing Closet, as well as diaper donations. Material donations can be made in person at: 333 E. Miller Dr. in Bloomington, IN.

Student Internship Opportunities

Local nursing and public health students seeking internship positions can provide services through IU Health Bloomington Nurse-Family Partnership. For more information or to inquire, please email NFP Nursing Supervisor, Amy Meek, BSN, RN.

Contact Us

Phone

To contact Nurse-Family Partnership, please call 812.353.3200.

Fax

Referrals can be submitted via fax at 812.353.3135.

Location

333 E. Miller Dr.
Bloomington, IN 47401