NJ postpartum nurse home visits expand to 17 counties

🏥 New Jersey expands free postpartum nurse home visits to 17 counties, offering in-home care and support for new parents and newborns.
👶 Program includes health checks, mental health screenings, and connections to resources like WIC, food banks, and pediatric care.
📈 Since launching in 2024, more than 10,000 visits have been completed, with statewide expansion expected by 2027.

The New Jersey Department of Children and Families has announced that the Family Connects NJ program, the state’s universal nurse home visiting program, has now expanded its free postpartum services to 17 of New Jersey's 21 counties.

Expansion of free postpartum nurse home visits across New Jersey

Family Connects NJ is open to new and expectant parents, those who have adopted a baby or are kinship families, or those who experienced a stillbirth or a neonatal death, says Family Connects NJ Program Director Brandie Benson.

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The personalized program is available in Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hudson, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, and Passaic counties, with the hopes of expanding the program to the remaining four counties—Hunterdon, Morris, Warren, and Union- by January 2027, Benson said.

What happens during a postpartum home visit

When a specially-trained registered nurse shows up at a person’s home, usually within the first two weeks of a child's birth, they will assess both the mother and the baby.

“They would do vital signs, they would talk to mom about lactation, do vital signs on the baby, weigh the baby, do that assessment, provide anticipatory guidance or education about post-birth warning signs. They do a number of screening assessments to assess mom’s psycho social, her mental health, safety, and they do environmental assessments to make sure there are working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in the home, etc,” Benson said.

Connecting families to critical community resources

If any needs are identified, the nurse will be able to connect the family to local community resources such as food banks, diaper banks, WIC (Women, Infants and Children), or to primary or pediatric care providers, she said.

This is such a convenient service for those who want it, and it's free.

Addressing postpartum health risks and rising demand

“When you look at the latest CDC data, the majority of postpartum deaths and complications happen in that postpartum period. So, we wanted to make sure we have this universal program that serves as a touch point from the time a family is discharged from a hospital to the time they follow up with their provider postpartum,” Benson said.

Since its launch in January 2024, there have been well over 10,000 nurse visits statewide, and the visits keep growing, she said.

“Family Connects is an amazing program. We are so excited about the team and the team is so excited to serve families. We have such a passionate group of individuals who are doing the nurse home visits and out in the community championing the program. Anyone can benefit from a Family Connects visit. It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter where you live; anyone can benefit from that additional support in the postpartum period,”

If anyone is interested in having a nurse come to an assessment on the mother and baby postpartum, they can visit here and make an appointment.

Benson said it’s usually a one-time visit, a touchpoint in the postpartum period. However, if someone would like a follow-up visit, that can be arranged, too.

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