This program of prenatal and infancy visits by nurses begins during early pregnancy and continues until the child’s second birthday. The nurses are scheduled to visit families from once a week to monthly-depending on intervention time period. During the 60-90 minute visits, the nurses work to achieve goals and objectives employing clinical interventions that are grounded in social and nursing theories.

The goals of the program are threefold:

  •  To improve the outcomes of pregnancy (reduce the rates of preterm delivery, low birthweight, and obstetric complications, such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and kidney infections)

  •  To improve infant health and development (reduce children’s injuries, abuse and neglect; improve infants developmental accomplishments, and reduce emerging behavioral problems)

  • To improve mother’s own personal life-course development (reduce the rates of unintended subsequent pregnancy, increase the interval between the birth of the first and second children, increase women’s educational achievements and participation in the work force, and reduce their use of welfare).

How the Visits work

Visitation begins during pregnancy and continues through the child’s second birthday. Visiting families about once every other week during pregnancy and the first two years of the child’s life, the nurses employ program protocols that are designed to accomplish three overriding goals:

In the visits, the nurses promote three aspects of maternal functioning:

a) health-related behaviors during pregnancy and the early years of the child’s life:

b) the care parents provide to their children

c) parents’ family planning, educational achievement, and participation in the workforce.

Contact:

Stephanie Elter, RN, Nurse Home Visitor, NFP Program - Region 5, stephanie.elter@la.gov 

Reney Fontenot, RN, Nurse Home Visitor, NFP Program - Region 5,reney.fontenot@la.gov 

Mackenzie Moore, RN, Nurse Home Visitor, NFP Program – Region 5, mackenzie.moore@la.gov 

Kimberly Cowan, , RN, Nurse Home Visitor, NFP Program – Region 5, Kimberly.cowan@la.gov 

Jane Freudenberger, MSW, LCSW, Infant Mental Health Specialist, NFP Program - Region 5, jane.freudenberger@la.gov 

Talissa Johnson, Outreach Specialist, NFP Program - Region 5, Talissa.Johnson@la.gov 

Hannah Fontenot, Administrative Assistant, NFP Program – Region 5, Hannah.fontenot@la.gov

Stephanie Greene, RN - Nurse Home Visitor, NFP Program - Region 5 - Stephanie.Greene@la.gov

Brooke Miller, RN - Nurse Home Visitor, NFP Program - Region 5 - Brooke.Miller@la.gov

Johnna Sonnier - Administrative Assistant, NFP Program - Region 5, Johnna.Sonnier@la.gov