Family Connects is a free program with Jefferson County Public Health and Lutheran Medical Center, a part of the Intermountain Health program. The program dispatches registered nurses to the homes of families with newborns.
“This program saved my life,” said Amanda McCoy, a family ambassador with Family Connects.
McCoy said the program connected her and her partner with resources that they all needed but never knew existed.
Kate Follett, Public Health Nurse Supervisor with Jeffco Public Health and the Family Connects program said the program model focuses on moms and babies, however, it is also for other types of families with newborns. This includes foster care providers, kinship care and babies discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit.
Follett said the program also serves “families in bereavement, where the mother or baby passed away.” She also wants readers to know that Family Connects serves families no matter what their immigration (and documentation) status is.
“We are mandatory reporters for child abuse and neglect,” Follett said. “But that is not the focus of the program. We are mindful in those extreme cases and don’t make the decisions lightly.”
Follett said that her entire team makes the decision.
“We do not report to immigration, the IRS and other government,” Follett said. “So we are not asking for proof of residence, income or any of that when nurses come to visit.”
Follett wants families to be assured that the nurses coming into the home are not there to judge or pry. They are there to help.
She said the program has reduced the reports to child welfare for families with new babies. The aid that the nurses provide actually alleviates some of the factors that could lead to Child Protective Services involvement.
McCoy agrees. She utilized the NICU to Home part of the program.
“There is a stigma and fear about letting someone into your home during that time (after bringing a new baby home),” McCoy said. “Welcome them (Family Connects nurses) in because it will help beyond what you can imagine.”
McCoy said the nurses helped her and the father of her twins in so many ways.
“Amanda, my nurse, helped me while I cried a few times,” McCoy said. The nurse helps with the mental health care of the entire family. This includes directing the family to resources when needed.
Follett explained that the resources are an important part of the program as well.
“The nurses keep a finger on the resources,” she said. The families are screened, with consent, according to Follett. From that the nurse determines what additional aid is needed.
McCoy said her nurse connected her family with a therapist, a course on secure attachment for when her babies came home from the NICU. That course was Circle of Security and it was something that McCoy says she wouldn’t have known about without the Family Connects nurse.
McCoy said her nurse also got her diapers, high chairs, car seats and more.
Follett said the resources come from partnerships with organizations all over Jeffco and the Denver Metro area.
WeeCycle, 20 S Havana St., Ste 210 in Aurora is a resource for diapers, wipes, clothing, furniture and other baby needs. Jeffco Public Library hosts a monthly support group for moms and gives each new family a free book.
Follett said the nurses are there to help families with whatever they need. According to the Family Connects website, 95% of parents said they needed support after their families were born, but could not find it. Family Connects aims to help fill that gap.
“Our commitment lies in assisting all families with a newborn by ensuring that they have access to in-home healthcare support upon returning home from the hospital,” said Chuck Ault, Community Health Manager for Intermountain Health. “This program is entirely voluntary and offers an opportunity for all families to achieve equitable health outcomes for their newborn and families.”
“They say it takes a village to raise a child, this is your village,” McCoy said about Family Connects. “This is your link to all the resources.”
Jeffco parents can find more information and schedule their family for services at FamilyConnectsColorado.org.