Nurse-Family Partnership
Summit County is the fiscal agent and program coordinator for the four county Intermountain Nurse Family Partnership. The counties covered by this service are Summit, Lake, Gilpin and Clear Creek. All Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) programs are committed to producing lasting improvements in the health and well being of low income, first time parents and their children.The program achieves three important goals:
- Pregnancy outcomes are improved by helping women practice sound health related behaviors, including obtaining good prenatal care, improving diet, and reducing use of tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse
- Children’s health and development are improved by helping parents provide responsible and competent care for their children.
- Families’ economic self-sufficiency is improved by helping parents develop a vision for their own future, plan future pregnancies, continue their education and find job.
Elements of the program are:
- Home visitors are highly educated registered nurses
- Nurse home visitors follow NFP Visit Guidelines that focus on the mother’s personal health, quality of care giving and life course development.
- Nurse home visitors begin making visits during pregnancy and continue through the first two years of the child’s life.
- Nurse Home visitors involve the mother support system including family members, fathers and friends and they help families use other health and human services they may need.