Nurse Home Visits Available for Pregnant Women

Women who are pregnant with their first child can now receive regular visits from a nurse in the privacy of their own home through the Nurse Family Partnership program offered by Project Self-Sufficiency. Eligible, first-time mothers of all ages are paired with a nurse who visits them throughout the pregnancy and up until the child’s second birthday. The voluntary program, which was started in upstate New York in the 1970’s, has been adopted in 42 states, and was recently launched in Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon Counties. The initiative is one of three different home visitation programs for young mothers which is provided by Project Self-Sufficiency to families in northwestern New Jersey.

The visiting nurses provide support, education and counseling on health, behavioral and self-sufficiency issues. “Our goal is to improve pregnancy outcomes, and to assist parents with improving early childhood development, while helping the family to move towards economic self-sufficiency,” explains Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “All of the home visitation programs offered by Project Self-Sufficiency are designed to empower mothers to be the best parents they can be.”

Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) is one the most rigorously tested programs of its kind. Randomized controlled trials conducted over the past 30 years demonstrate multi-generational outcomes for families and their communities. Mothers and children who have participated in the program have consistently demonstrated significantly improved prenatal health, fewer subsequent pregnancies, increased maternal employment, improved child school readiness, reduced involvement in crime, and less child abuse, neglect and injuries.

“The visits leading up to the birth focus on preparing for labor and delivery, how to recognize labor and delivery, what is a danger sign or what needs to be reported immediately so that mother and child are in the safest possible spot,” explains Nurse Supervisor Darlene O’Connell, who oversees the team of nurses at Project Self-Sufficiency and is responsible for community outreach. “When appropriate, we emphasize the importance of breast-feeding immediately.”

A large part of each visit with the client is spent on counseling. Nurse Inka Adenuga meets regularly with 16-year-old Jyniah King, who gave birth to her son August nearly four months ago. The two were paired up by the Nurse Family Partnership program when Jyniah was ten weeks pregnant. During their early visits, Adenuga spent a lot of time helping King to deal with stress and the social issues that accompany a teen pregnancy. “I love Inka,” King says emphatically. “I am not a people person and I don’t have a lot of friends, but I can talk to her about a lot of stuff. She helped me with coping with being pregnant. I was exhausted and under a lot of stress. Most new mothers think that they know it all. That’s how I was. But it’s good to learn new things.”

King attended high school every day until her son’s birth. She kept up with her studies while recovering from childbirth and is now on track to complete her coursework ahead of schedule. She has aspirations of attending law school one day. “To be a mother is a full-time job, and to combine that with school, and to still be ahead, is great,” notes Adenuga, who added that King not only nursed her child exclusively for four months, but is also an attentive parent who is eager to learn and is very appreciative of the support she has received. “I commend her for all of that.”

Project Self-Sufficiency was founded in 1986 with the goal of providing housing assistance to local low-income women. Since then the agency has grown to provide an array of services aimed primarily at low-income families. Programs include career guidance, computer training, help with obtaining a GED, parenting skills classes, legal assistance and education, financial workshops, health education, childcare and family activities. The agency offers help around the holidays, formal dresses during prom season, and assistance with emergency basic needs, such as food and clothing to its participants. Most services are free and many are open to the public.

Those who are interested in learning more about the Nurse-Family Partnership, or any of the other programs offered at Project Self-Sufficiency, are encouraged to call 973-940-3500, or visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.