Senator Squadron Joins Nurses to Honor Mothers Completing Nurse-Family Partnership Program

Senator Squadron Created State Program for NFP

Providing $7 Million Funding

New York, NY, November 17, 2010—Today, Senator Squadron will speak at the graduation ceremony for mothers who completed the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), a home visiting program that aims to improve the lives of vulnerable first-time mothers and their infants by pairing them with registered nurses who come to their homes.  The graduation ceremony is organized by the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, which facilitates Nurse-Family Partnership services for families throughout the state.  

Today’s graduation comes within a week of final approval being granted by NYS Department of Health for the last piece of $7 million in state funding that Senator Squadron has won for the program over the past two years.  In part, the new state funding, a vital investment in healthy families struggling through the economic downturn, allowed the Visiting Nurse Service of New York to provide additional Nurse-Family Partnership services.

NFP’s registered nurses help low-income first-time mothers ensure a healthy pregnancy and competent care for infants by providing home visits throughout pregnancy and until the child is two years old.  NFP has been shown in many studies to reduce child neglect and abuse, improve children’s behavior and school performance for more than a decade after the nurse visits end, and lead to significant long-term savings. 

Senator Squadron said, “Nurse-Family Partnership has a proven record of success in improving the lives of first-time mothers and their children, and creates positive results for them long after they graduate from the program.  That’s why I remain committed to making sure that families in New York can take advantage of this wonderful program.  I congratulate the mothers who are graduating today, as well as the nurses of the Visiting Nurse Service who have worked so hard to provide care and support for these mothers and their children.” 

The graduation ceremony will take place tonight at 5:30 p.m., with a reception to follow from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m., at the Visiting Nurse Service Headquarters Auditorium, 107 E. 70th St. in Manhattan.

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