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Reducing and Preventing Child Neglect and Abuse

Initiation and Support of the Nurse Family Partnership Program in Monroe County

Nurse-Family Partnership
The Nurse-Family Partnership is an evidence-based home visitation program that improves the health, well-being, and self-sufficiency of low-income, first-time parents and their children. The Children's Agenda was instrumental in bringing the nationally recognized Nurse-Family Partnership to Rochester in July 2006. During 2008, the Nurse-Family Partnership will serve 300 local families, and The Children’s Agenda is exploring ways to expand the program to reach 1,000 families in Monroe County. Developed as a research project in Baltimore by Dr. David Olds nearly 30 years ago, the nurse home visit program has been shown to reduce the risks for early antisocial behavior and prevent problems associated with youth crime and delinquency, such as child abuse, maternal substance abuse and maternal criminal involvement. Home visits by specially-trained registered nurses are the distinguishing feature of the Nurse-Family Partnership. Nurses visit clients at their homes on a weekly to monthly basis beginning with their second trimester and continuing until the child is two years old. Unlike some home visit programs, the Nurse-Family Partnership has no parent-age or area restrictions on participants and employs only registered nurses. The program is focused around achieving three goals:

Healthier pregnancies
Improved child health and development
Improved maternal life course development

Nurses also offer a comprehensive educational program designed to help parents provide better care for their child and help parents clarify their goals and develop problem-solving skills. Outcomes for parents from the Nurse-Family Partnership nationally have demonstrated:

79% reduction in child abuse and neglect
56% fewer arrests
81% fewer convictions/probation violations
63% fewer sexual partners