FIRST 1,000 DAYS CORE STRATEGY SPOTLIGHT

A Game Changer for New Jersey –Universal Newborn Home Visiting

Growing the Community Nurse Workforce in New Jersey

“I can’t fathom that a mother could die due to maternity-related complications or the baby won’t live past its first birthday and that’s because of the color of somebody’s skin. We signed up to try and move the needle here in New Jersey, and make New Jersey a safer, more equitable, and a fairer state for everyone.”

– New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy

New Jersey is ranked the 4^th most dangerous state for women to give birth. The risk of death from pregnancy-related complications is seven times higher for Black women in New Jersey than white women. Hispanic women similarly experience significantly higher maternal mortality rates than their white counterparts.

One way to reduce these disparities is to provide mothers more help in the weeks immediately following childbirth — an especially critical time for maternal and infant health and development. New mothers face the challenges of adapting to physical, social, and psychological changes at the same time they learn to care for newborns. Many health problems that may lead to maternal mortality can emerge during this period, such as hemorrhaging or pulmonary embolism. Postpartum depression can undermine bonding between parents and infants. Stressors related to newborn care increase when families face housing insecurity, hunger, or other unmet basic needs. The potential for problems is compounded by the fact that approximately 40% of new mothers do not see their health provider for an important postpartum visit where they can receive crucial support and services.

To better assist new families and improve maternal and infant health, Gov. Phil Murphy signed landmark legislation in July 2021 to make New Jersey the second state in the nation to establish a universal newborn home visiting program. Led by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, this program will provide voluntary, no-cost nurse home visits to all families with newborns to check on the health and wellbeing of mothers and babies when they are at highest risk of physical and mental health complications. This is a pivotal window of opportunity when all new parents may benefit from a little extra support.

In families served by the Family Connects program, infants had 50% fewer emergency room visits and hospital overnight stays in the first year of life.

Families enrolled in Family Connects had 44% lower rates of Child Protective Services investigations for suspected child abuse or neglect.

Mothers reported significantly more positive parenting behaviors like hugging, comforting, and reading to their infants.

The Burke Foundation is helping in two ways to create the conditions for success for this vital initiative:

To raise awareness of this important program, we will gather insights from a diverse group of current and expectant parents, along with other stakeholders, to determine the most effective messaging to maximize program participation, and then support an outreach campaign.
We will strengthen the pipeline of nurses with a strong focus on cultivating a diverse public health nursing workforce to provide culturally-responsive care to all participating New Jersey families.

The Foundation will work closely with the state and its many collaborators on this groundbreaking initiative, as well as with local communities, to support implementation of the new law and amplify New Jersey as a model for maternal and infant care in the US.

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Universal Newborn Home Visiting:

Nursing Market Research

A robust supply of nurses, including nurses of color, is critical to the success of New Jersey’s universal newborn home visiting program. But how to ensure an adequate workforce? New research by EY-Parthenon’s Healthcare Strategy team highlights the best approaches to recruit nurse home visitors and potential pathways to hire and retain nurses of color. The market research and strategic roadmap, sponsored by the Burke Foundation in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) will guide recruitment efforts for the home visiting program.

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Piloting A New Home Visiting Model for New Jersey in Mercer County

In early 2021, Trenton Health Team, in partnership with the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, launched the first-ever Family Connects program in New Jersey. This voluntary, evidence-based model offers a no-cost home visit from a registered nurse to all Mercer County families who deliver at Capital Health Medical Center.

Family Connects strives to connect families with a range of community resources that support their health and wellbeing and are tailored to their individual needs. The model’s three components are:

1-3 visits from a registered nurse who checks on the health of the mother and newborn (including a maternal depression screen), assesses household needs and facilitates referrals to community resources, and provides all families education on such universal topics as breastfeeding and safe sleep.
Ongoing engagement with families and providers to understand their needs and service capacities so families have access to the right resources at the right time.
Data collection to improve program effectiveness by evaluating key indicators and informing local efforts.

Offering Family Connects to all families improves health and wellness at a scale never before realized and reduces the stigma of accepting resources and supports. Nurses began home visits in December 2021 and are expected to serve about 500 families during the first year.

The Burke Foundation supports the pilot of Family Connects in Mercer County in partnership with New Jersey Department of Children and Families.