New health department program will offer home visits to all new parents in Greene County

The days following the birth of a child can be joyful, but they can also be stressful. A Springfield-Greene County Health Department initiative aims to support all Greene County residents.

In early 2024, SGCHD will launch Family Connects, an evidence-based program offering in-home visits.

"Family Connects is a universal home visiting program, so that it’s available to all families in Greene County who have a newborn, regardless of insurance status or risk factors," said Ruth Brown, program coordinator. "It’s truly a universal home visiting program to set families up for success and just lay that strong and healthy foundation.”

Springfield City Council voted Oct. 16 to allow SGCHD to accept a nearly $40,000 Musgrave Foundation grant and a $100,000 Missouri Children's Trust Fund grant, both of which will go toward funding Family Connects in Greene County.

In the past, SGCHD has offered the NEST Partnership program, which supports parents during pregnancy and after through home visits with nurses who answer questions, monitor vital signs and connect families with resources. However, participation was limited: For prenatal visits, mothers had to be Medicaid-eligible. For postpartum visits, there had to be identified risks, such as a baby having trouble gaining weight or the family needing help accessing social services.

With Family Connects, the support is available to everyone.

"I’m a mom, and I would have loved to have a program like this when I brought home my babies. It’s just nerve-wracking bringing a new baby home. Even if you’ve had one or two, I feel like there’s still questions whenever you get home," Brown said. "Just having that additional support, having a nurse come out and check on you, is huge. We’re super excited to be able to offer it to everyone in the community.”

The NEST Program will transition into Family Connects, according to Brown.

How Family Connect works

The program consists of six nurses who will perform home visits.

Family Connect will first talk with parents at the bedside following delivery at Cox or Mercy hospitals. If the family is interested, they can schedule their visit at that time. Generally, the first home visit is scheduled for three to four weeks postpartum, but Brown said the visit can be as late as 12 weeks, and even that can vary if a baby has been in the NICU.

At the home visit, the nurse will conduct postpartum screenings, check mother and baby's health, provide educational information and link the family to community resources. The nurses can also assist with bottle feeding, breast feeding and connections to other home visiting programs.

"Those nurses will be that connection point with those families," Brown said.

Family Connects is a short-term program compared to NEST. Families can receive up to three visits, but the goal is to connect the family with other, longer-term resources in the area.

"Family Connects serves as that safety net," Brown said.

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Program has potential to benefit Greene County children

While Greene County is piloting the first Family Connects program in Missouri, it is already in place in 18 other states.

Family Connects began at Duke University in 2008, in an effort to improve child outcomes and to reduce and prevent child abuse and neglect in Durham County, North Carolina.

A 2014 study found that in North Carolina, families enrolled in Family Connects had 44% lower rates of child protective services investigations for suspected child abuse or neglect through age 2 and that mothers were 30% less likely to experience possible postpartum depression or anxiety. A 2020 study found that children who participated in the Family Connects program had 37% fewer total ER visits through age 2.

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Local health systems also participating in program

Mercy and CoxHealth are both excited to see Family Connects come to fruition in Springfield.

Mercy pediatrician Dr. Elizabeth Andrews was involved in a previous effort to bring Family Connects to Greene County that was thwarted by the pandemic. She is eager to see how the program will better connect families.

"We have a community rich in resources but many times you just don't know about them," Andrews said.

While CoxHealth provides resources through their women's center, Teri Sickmyere, one of the system's administrative directors of nursing, sees Family Connects as an extra layer of support for everyone.

"No matter what your socioeconomic status is, you can still have postpartum depression, you can still have struggles in taking care of your infant," Sickmyere said. "We need to be able to support them no matter what."

Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Family Connect will offer in-home visits to new Greene County parents