Aiming to reach all families with a newborn,
Family Connects creates system change at the population level recognizing that
the wellbeing of the parents plays a critical role in laying a positive
foundation for their child’s development. Through a partnership with Family
Connects International, MHMR joins efforts with local hospitals and the
community in offering this voluntary, evidence-based, short-term nurse home
visiting program aimed at providing physical and mental health screening of
both parent and newborn while also ensuring their connection to a medical home
and other needed community resources.
In addition to increased child and family
well-being outcomes, the ongoing randomized control trials have shown that
infants had 50% fewer emergency room visits and overnight stays during their
first year of life resulting in a savings of $3.02 for every $1 in program
cost. The researchers have estimated that cities similar in size to Durham,
averaging about 3,187 births a year, should expect to see $7 million in
community health care cost savings in the first two years of a child’s life
with a $2.2 million annual investment in Family Connects.