Family Connects

Family Connects is an innovative newborn nurse home visiting program designed to address existing limitations to targeted home visiting programs. The program is brief (1-3 nurse home visits) and is implemented universally to maximize population reach and community acceptance.  Its goals, however, are consistent with existing, evidence-based nurse home visiting programs:

  1. to connect with the mother, in order to enhance maternal skills and self-efficacy 
  2. to assess each family’s unique strengths and needs
  3. to connect the family with needed community services; such as health care, child care, financial and social support in order to promote family functioning and child well-being.

Who is the program for?

All expecting parents and parents of newborns in Scott County, regardless of income. We also coordinate a similar program with Genesis called Bright Beginnings, which is offered to families with risk factors.

How does it work?

Genesis Family Connects will ensure that within the first three weeks following a baby leaving the hospital, specially trained Genesis Visiting Nurses will provide in-home needs assessments of mothers and newborns. Nurses will also discuss the social conditions affecting the family and talk with the family about resources and supports available.

For example, nurses will be able to address housing issues, breastfeeding, depression and mental health needs, substance use, domestic violence and relationship issues, child care access, parenting education, family planning, financial concerns, social support and other issues.

The benefits of Family Connects have been significant:

  • 59% less emergency care by infants seen by Family Connects in the first six months
  • 50% less emergency care by infants seen by Family Connects through one year compared to other regional newborns
  • For every $1 spent on Family Connects in Durham, N.C., $3 were saved in health care costs
  • 99% of mothers who participated in Family Connects said they would recommend the home visit to another mother

Sign Up

To find out more about Genesis Family Connects, call (563) 421-6860 or go to www.genesisphilanthropy.org