When Family Connects NJ launched on Jan. 16, we hit the ground to spread the word about this important new program. We are community alignment specialists and have the privilege of being the face of the new Family Connects NJ program in Middlesex and Mercer counties — educating health providers, nonprofit partners and families about nurses making home visits. We spend the majority of our time in the community speaking directly to families at events, giving presentations about Family Connects NJ to nonprofit leaders, pediatric and obstetric providers and allied health professionals.
We believe universal home visiting is essential for the well-being of our families and an important health care model because the visits are offered to everyone, regardless of insurance, income, race, ethnicity or resident status. Our new parents, especially our first-time mothers, need all the physical and emotional support they can get in the first weeks of parenting a newborn.
As former community health workers, we are passionate about helping people in our communities become healthier and more informed about their health and pregnancy journey. We understand the importance of receiving not just physical health care during pregnancy, but the positive impact of emotional and mental health support as well. By serving as liaisons between providers and the community, we work to build trusting relationships that in turn may increase early access to health care and support for both the family and newborn. Our deep knowledge of resources and supports within Middlesex and Mercer counties is important, ensuring that Family Connects NJ nurses are equipped with the information they need to provide the best care possible during visits.
Our specialized team of nurses goes far beyond for their patients, providing them with education and health screenings needed to ensure both parent and newborn are healthy. We’ve observed an increase in family health literacy, and we’ve heard positive feedback and seen the relief in the faces of pregnant women and new mothers because they feel supported during such a vulnerable time.
It is inspiring to work with a team that aims to provide high-quality health care education for each patient, so mothers can focus on their health as well as the health of their newborn. We want to see all families thrive and receive the tailored support they need and deserve. Family Connects NJ not only educates families with newborns, it also encourages all providers working in maternal and child health whether doctors and nurses or social service providers, to work diligently to coordinate services, remove barriers to care and improve health before, during and after pregnancy.
The Family Connects NJ model encourages us as advocates to highlight health disparities and work to find solutions to minimize their impact on all women, but especially for African American and Black women who are most impacted. As mothers, we understand the potential impact of the Family Connect NJ program. We wish this program existed when we gave birth to our children but we’re grateful for all the families and newborns this program will touch.
However, we cannot do this work alone. Community alignment is all about connecting the dots between patients, health care providers and the overall community to improve health. While we are excited to be a part of such an important project and to have the opportunity to create positive change in providing maternal and newborn care, we need our community’s help to make this a reality. We invite health care providers and those who care about improving maternal health to join us in promoting widely this important program, to invite families to learn more and register for nurse home visits in an effort to achieve our goal to make New Jersey the safest and most equitable place to give birth and raise a family.