Nurse-Family Partnership

Milwaukee Nurse-Family Partnership is an evidence-based, nurse home visiting program that improves the health, well-being and self-sufficiency of low-income, first-time parents and their children. Milwaukee Nurse-Family Partnership Nurse Home Visitors work with their clients to achieve three important goals:

• Improve pregnancy outcomes by helping women engage in good preventive health practices, including obtaining thorough prenatal care from their healthcare providers, improving their diet, and reducing their use of cigarettes, alcohol and illegal substances
• Improve child health and development by helping parents provide responsible and competent care
• Improve the economic self-sufficiency of the family by helping parents develop a vision for their own future, plan future pregnancies, continue their education and find work.

What are the benefits for women and children enrolled in NFP?

Based on studies conducted by affiliates of the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office the following have been identified as positive outcomes of the interventions of this program:

• Improved prenatal health

• Fewer childhood injuries

• Fewer subsequent pregnancies

• Increased intervals between births

• Increased maternal employment

• Improved school readiness

Benefits to Children

• 48% reduction in child abuse and neglect

• 59% reduction in arrests

• 90% reduction in adjudications as PINS (person in need of supervision) for incorrigible behavior

Benefits to Mothers

• 61% fewer arrests
• 72% fewer convictions
• 98% fewer days in jail 

What do NFP Home Visitors do?

The Nurse Home Visitor will work with the pregnant woman to:

• Have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby
• Become a better parent
• Build a strong network of support for her and her baby
• Make the home a safe place for the baby to live and play
• Obtain referrals for healthcare, childcare, job training and other support services available in the community
• Find ways to continue her education and develop job skills
• Set goals for her family's future and find ways to help her reach them 

Who is eligible / who participates in the program?

Milwaukee Nurse-Family Partnership is FREE to all eligible women!

Any woman who:

• Is pregnant with her first child
• Is less than 28 weeks (7 months) pregnant
• Is living in Milwaukee Zip Codes:  53204, 53205, 53206, 53209, 53210, 53212, 53216, 53218, 53223, 53225 and 53233
• Meets identified low income requirements 

What else should I know about NFP?

The Milwaukee Nurse-Family Partnership Program is a voluntary program through which nurses do home visits starting as early as possible during pregnancy and continuing through the child's second birthday.

• The nurses visit the women (families) on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis over the 2½-year program cycle.
• Milwaukee Nurse-Family Partnership is a program for women who are having their first baby. If you enroll, a specially trained nurse will visit you in your home throughout pregnancy and continue to visit until your baby is 2 years old. 

Who can I contact for more information?

Mary Jo Gerlach, Nurse Supervisor
Milwaukee Health Department
Nurse-Family Partnership Program
1639 South 23rd Street
Milwaukee, WI 53204
(414) 286-8104
mgerla@milwaukee.gov

More information:
www.nursefamilypartnership.org