Nurse-Family Partnership

VNS Health

For generations, New Yorkers have known us as the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Now, we are VNS Health. Our new name reflects the full range of easy-to-access services and health plans we offer you.

VNS HEALTH HOME CARE

Has your doctor recommended home care after you come home from the hospital? Are you looking for private-duty nursing or companion care? Do you know you need something but aren’t sure of your options? VNS Health can help.

VNS Health Hospice Care

If you are just starting to look into hospice, you may wonder what your options are. VNS Health makes it easy to get the information you need to make decisions about care. We’re with you, every step of the way.

HEALTH PLANS FROM VNS HEALTH

For more than two decades, our health plans have helped tens of thousands of people connect with outstanding care. Which one is right for you?

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Mental health matters. Our specialized programs deliver consistent, coordinated care to the people who need it and their families. Services and support are available in the home and community.

RESOURCES FOR PATIENTS & FAMILIES

VNS Health gives you the tools you need to take care of a loved one, manage your own health, and feel confident as you make choices about care.

VNS Health in the Community

At VNS Health, we’re more than your health care team. We’re your neighbors, and we invite you to get involved so we can build healthy communities together.

VNS Health has solutions for:

• Referring patients to in-home care
• Community partners seeking behavioral health support for at-risk individuals
• Health care organizations in need of customized care management and managed care services

vns health team member sitting with mother of 2 smiling together

Being a first-time parent comes with a lot of questions. During pregnancy, you want to know how to support your growing baby. What should you eat, and what shouldn’t you eat? What is gestational diabetes? How can you prepare for labor?

When your baby comes, you’ll have even more questions. Should you breastfeed? Should they sleep on their back, side, or tummy? How can you support your baby’s overall development?

Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is a free program for first-time parents that answers all of these questions and more. When you enroll in the program, you’ll have access to a registered nurse who will support you by providing you with advice and resources to help you have a healthy pregnancy and raise a healthy baby.

After you and your baby graduate from the NFP, you can join the Nurse-Family Partnership Alumni Alliance.

What Is Nurse-Family Partnership?

NFP is a national program, started more than 40 years ago, that supports first-time parents across the country. At VNS Health, our Nurse-Family Partnership offers free at-home support to parents and their children in Nassau County and the Bronx.

The NFP program starts by pairing a nurse with first-time parents-to-be. This partnership and support starts in the first or second trimester of your pregnancy and continues until your child’s second birthday.

Your NFP nurse will:

Provide you with education about pregnancy, childbirth, and your baby’s development
Monitor your and your infant’s health
Help you understand how to take care of your baby, including feeding, bathing, and safe sleep
Show you ways to interact with your baby to help them grow and develop
Help you achieve your personal goals, such as continuing your education and finding a job
Connect you with resources like health insurance and mental health care

The program will also connect you with local resources, such as libraries, medical care, and child care. As a new parent, you might not be aware of the vast resources our communities can offer, which will keep you and your baby connected for years to come.

Our model is to help mothers succeed by unlocking their own greatness. Sometimes it’s the littlest things that inspire hope, hearing that she is doing a great job.
Jenn, Nurse-Family Partnership registered nurse

NFP is an evidence-based program. This means it uses evidence from real people and real situations to provide the best knowledge for you and your child. NFP helps give your baby the best possible start in life.

Am I Eligible for the NFP Program?

The NFP program is completely free, and it’s available to first-time parents regardless of age, immigration status, or gender identity. Still, there are certain requirements you must meet to be eligible. You must:

Be pregnant with your first baby
Be less than 29 weeks pregnant
Meet the program’s income requirements
Live in Nassau County or the Bronx

If you don’t qualify for the NFP, our team will help you find other resources to support you during pregnancy and while raising your baby.

Making Crucial Connections: NFP in the Community

Healthy pregnancies and babies depend on access to crucial resources, support, and guidance. NFP is designed to meet the needs of parents in our communities by providing support to promote healthy pregnancies and babies.

Maternal mortality — which is when a pregnant person dies during pregnancy, at delivery, or soon after delivery — is a serious problem in the United States, especially for low-income families and communities of color. For example, Black women are 2 to 3 times as likely to die from pregnancy and delivery-related causes as white women, and the rate of maternal mortality among Hispanic women is on the rise.

NFP is focused on improving health equity, which is when everyone has the opportunity to reach their full health potential. For first-time parents in our communities, this means providing knowledge and resources to support healthy pregnancies and parenting. It also means helping you progress in your education, career, and goals.

Healthy babies are key to healthy communities. VNS Health’s NFP is committed to helping all babies come into a world that supports their healthy development.

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