When Mia became a first-time mom at 21, she didn’t feel ready. But with the help of a dedicated nurse through the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program, she found the support she needed to face life’s challenges — and the strength to build a future for herself and her son.
That support would prove life-changing. Years later, when Mia experienced a devastating personal loss, the bond she’d formed with her NFP nurse helped her find stability, process grief, and stay focused on her son’s well-being.
Mia’s former partner and the father of her child died by suicide in 2017 when their son was 2 years old, leaving her to navigate that loss while raising her son without his father. “I don’t wish that on my worst enemy,” Mia said.
Finding Support Through Nurse-Family Partnership
Though the couple were no longer together at that time, the loss of her child’s father affected Mia deeply. She remembered the strength she had recently gained through Nurse-Family Partnership, a community health program that supports first-time mothers in building stronger futures for themselves and their children. “I was in shock and disbelief. NFP helped me have that motivation to be the best mom I could be — even in hard situations,” said Mia. “My NFP nurse always made me look forward to tomorrow even when I didn’t.”
Nurse-Family Partnership: Research-Driven Results For Healthy Families
Nurse-Family Partnership provides home healthcare nurse visits to young families experiencing poverty, homelessness or violence. These partnerships begin in early pregnancy until the child reaches the age of 2. The program matches nurses with mothers to provide education and care throughout pregnancy, while also serving as a trusted resource for mothers on a range of topics, from safe childcare to securing a stable future.
Mia’s journey with NFP began when, at 21 years old and a recent college graduate, she became unexpectedly pregnant in 2014. “I felt like I wasn’t ready, and I didn’t know what to expect.,” she recalled. Mia was informed about NFP when she visited her local health department’s WIC program in south-central Louisiana. “I had not heard about NFP before then and was skeptical,” she said. “Then I was paired with my own personal nurse and always looked forward to her visits.”
Toward the end of her pregnancy, Mia was placed on bed rest at home by her doctor. “I was working 10-hour days as a pharmacy technician and was severely dehydrated,” she recalled. “My NFP nurse reminded me to drink lots of water and eat fruit to help with my dehydration.”
Mia delivered a baby boy, Colton, more than a week early in November 2014. While still a small baby, Colton was born healthy and welcomed by his mom, dad, and their family.
Two months later, Mia remembers noticing a change in her partner’s mental health, “He loved Colton, I could tell by the way he looked at him. But after having a child, he was stressed and tied up in his personal life and depression.”
When Colton was four months old, he suffered an injury at home while under the care of his dad that resulted in transport to the emergency department in Lafayette. “He wasn’t waking up, and I thought, ‘if I lose my baby, I will lose my mind,’” said Mia.
Colton received MRIs, testing from neurosurgeons, and exams by pediatric optometrists. He was hospitalized in the PICU for four days before being released home. “Mentally, my NFP nurse was my number one savior at that time,” Mia said. “She collected the discharge reports and talked all of them over with me. I didn’t understand all the medical terms on the reports, so she explained what they meant.”
Mia continued her relationship with her NFP nurse during the next two years of Colton’s life, as he transitioned from a baby to a flourishing toddler. “He had come such a long way since his injury,” she recounted. “He had to wear an eye patch before he began wearing glasses, but he had no learning delays and met his childhood milestones.”
Support Through a Life-Changing Loss
Then Mia received a call that changed her life. “It took time for me to process that Colton’s dad died by suicide,” she said. “When I didn’t know what to do next, my NFP nurse always had an answer.” Mia went to counseling and took some time to focus on Colton and her mental well-being.
Mia graduated from NFP in 2017. “Honestly, I was sad to graduate from NFP,” shared Mia. “I felt like I gained a friend in my NFP nurse.” Today, Colton is in second grade and enjoys science, Legos, and fossils. Mia said proudly, “He has straight As and is reading at the top of his grade.”
A National Model for Supporting First-Time Moms
Nurse-Family Partnership has teamed up first-time moms with registered nurses for over 45 years. Since replication began in 1996, NFP has served 385,376 families nationally. The program involves more than 2,000 nurse home visitors and supervisors who operate in 732 counties across more than 40 states, including Washington D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and some Tribal Communities.
The results of this teamwork have been nothing short of extraordinary.
A wide range of scientific studies prove that these essential partnerships support and improve prenatal health for both mother and child, reduce abuse and violence in the home, and has positive long-term effects on a child’s behavior.
You can learn more about NFP’s research outcomes here. And, this video podcast from Conversations on Health Care shows how Nurse-Family Partnership works.
The Lasting Impact of Nurse-Family Partnership
“Not enough first-time moms know about the benefits of NFP,” Mia said. “The program is so much more than education. My nurse and I had a lot of one-on-one talks about my life and my mental health. What I like most about NFP is that it was so personal.”
Mia has since left the pharmaceutical industry and is now a professional in administrative services. She even finds time to be an entrepreneur, specializing as a small business vendor in the fashion retail industry. But it’s her role as a mother that she credits with giving her a new sense of direction.
“Colton was the blessing I didn’t know I needed. He shaped me into who I am today,” Mia said. “I wish more first-time moms knew about NFP, it changed my life. By sharing my NFP story and advocating for the program, I hope to change someone else’s life, too.”
If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis or emotional distress, call 988 for help.
How to Help
Nurse-Family Partnership empowers first-time mothers to create better futures for themselves and their children. Donations help families receive the highest-quality care, access to mental health resources, and the consistent support they need to transform their lives.
