Home Visit Programs Link New Mothers With Experienced Nurses

When she found out she was pregnant, Sarah says, “I didn’t really know what to do. (My baby’s) father passed away before he was born, and I was recovering from substance use. I needed to figure out how to get a job to support my son.”

She visited the CalWORKs program at Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency, where staff suggested she sign up for the Nurse-Family Partnership program. The free program links first-time mothers with a nurse who makes regular home (or other location) visits to provide support, advice and information throughout pregnancy and until the child is two years old.

A partnership that sounds “too good to be true”

“At first, I thought (the Nurse-Family Partnership) was too good to be true,” Sarah says, but when she met the nurse assigned to her, “I just fell in love. Nurse Michelle was just the sweetest woman I had ever met.”

Nurse Michelle met with Sarah throughout her pregnancy and the birth of her child. During that time, Sarah worked tirelessly to maintain her sobriety and to find a job and stable housing — all of which she accomplished. “Nurse Michelle was there for me no matter what,” Sarah says. “If I ever had a question, I could ask her and she would sit and have a long conversation with me about it.”

The Nurse-Family Partnership provides an emotional support system

Sarah was thriving in her new role as a mother, Michelle says. “She astonished me with her love for her child and her ability to be an intentional mom.” So when Michelle noticed some developmental issues with Sarah’s son. “I got her connected to Far Northern Regional Center right away, and assessments over time led to a diagnosis of autism,” Michelle says.  “Sarah had a lot of questions about her son. I worked to be a safe place for Sarah to express her emotions and was able to encourage Sarah that there were other resources and programs with services that would help support both her and her son.”

Sarah did not let this additional challenge get in her way and she continued to parent her son with love and intention. “From the outside looking in, people can’t see everything she has been through and what a success Sarah is,” Michelle says. “But, to me, she is a phenomenal success and a phenomenal mom.”

Sarah says. “Michelle made me feel that after everything I had been through, that this was possible and that I could be a good mom. If it weren’t for Michelle, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Even though Sarah has now graduated from the Nurse-Family Partnership program, she and Michelle still communicate often. “I’m going to school because I want to be a nurse now,” Sarah says. “Nurse-Family Partnership provided me with an emotional support system that I didn’t really have anywhere else.” Now she wants to go on and be that support for others.

How to join a home visiting program

Nurse-Family Partnership is currently celebrating 10 years of serving families in Shasta County. To qualify for this specific program, Mothers must be 28 weeks pregnant or less with their first child. However, there are many other free home visiting programs available to pregnant or parenting individuals throughout the North State. Many of these programs offer flexibility as they have different qualifications and follow slightly different models. For example, Northern Valley Catholic Social Service offers Healthy Families Shasta and Butte Baby Steps — both home visiting programs that enroll pregnant or parenting families up until the baby turns three months old, even if they already have older children.

Home Visiting Programs in the North State

Butte County

• Help Me Grow Butte: (530) 552-3919 — Helps navigate and connect with any home visiting programs in Butte County
• Butte Baby Steps – Healthy Families America: (530) 345-1600 x21560 — Parents who are expecting or have a child younger than three months
• Parents as Teachers: (530) 230-0211 — Those with children birth-three years
• Early Head Start Home Base: (866) 417-4255 – Low-income pregnant women and those with a child younger than three years
• TAPP – Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Program: (530) 345-1600 x21080 — Expecting and parenting youth, enrolled before their 21st birthday

Glenn County

• Early Head Start Home Base: (530) 934-6575 — Low-income pregnant women and those with a child younger than three years
• Pregnant and Parenting Teens: (530) 934-6588 or (800) 655-5418 — Pregnant or parenting teenagers

Shasta County

• Help Me Grow (530) 605-2645 or 2-1-1 — Helps navigate and connect with any home visiting programs in Shasta County
• Early Head Start Home Base: (530) 241-1036 — Low-income pregnant women and families with a child younger than three years
• Healthy Families Shasta County: (530) 247-3312 — Families who are expecting or have a child younger than three months
• Nurse-Family Partnership: (530) 225-5394 — First-time mothers who are less than 28 weeks pregnant
• Parent Partners: (530) 242-2020 — All caregivers of children under the age of 18
• TAPP – Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Program: (530) 247-3329 — Expecting and parenting youth, enrolled before their 21st birthday

Siskiyou County

• Early Head Start Home Base: 530-842-8493 — Low-income pregnant women and those with a child younger than three years
• Healthy Families America: 530-841-2139 — Pregnant mothers and parents or caretakers of a child younger than 24 months

Tehama County

• Early Head Start Home Base: 530-529-1500 or 1-877-224-7772 — Those with a child 0-36 months
• Healthy Families Tehama: (530) 527-6824 — Pregnant or with a baby younger than three months
• Help Me Grow – First 5 Tehama: (530) 528-7305 — Those with children from birth to five years