New Jersey promotes home visitation programs that are based on three national “model” programs that require specialized training for home visitors to do this important work. All home visitation models have the same goal to promote strong and nurturing parent-child relationships so that babies and young children grow up healthy, happy, safe and ready to learn. Home visiting programs most frequently available in NJ are listed below. Model programs are marked with an asterisk (*):
*Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is specifically for first-time pregnant women or new mothers who enroll in services by the second trimester of pregnancy (28 weeks). Nurse home visitors (RNs) provide health education and family support to parents to improve the health, well-being and self-sufficiency of first-time mothers, fathers and their children, and will ensure that you have linkages to other available community services and supports, as needed. Visits start out weekly and become less frequent over time. NFP families are encouraged to participate until your child is two years old.
*Healthy Families Program (HF) provides education and supportive services to new and expectant parents. For most HF programs eligibility is anytime during pregnancy or within the first few weeks of birth, but this may vary by community, so please call for specific information in your area. Participating families receive ongoing home visits from Family Support Workers (FSWs) that continue from enrollment to age three (some HF programs continue to age five). FSWs link new or expectant parents to existing social service and health care resources, and promote positive parenting and the healthy growth and development of infants and children.
*Parents as Teachers (PAT) is an early childhood parent education, family support and school readiness program serving families throughout pregnancy until their child enters kindergarten. The program is designed to enhance child health, growth and development, and school achievement as appropriate for all participating families. PAT visits are made by certified Parent Educators. Most PAT visits take place at home, but may also include small group meetings about early childhood development and parenting. Participation continues from enrollment up to age five. PAT will ensure that you have other linkages and referrals to other needed community networks and resources.
TANF Initiative for Parents (TIP Program) is similar to Healthy Families but is only for eligible recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) or General Assistance (GA). Services may begin in the third trimester of pregnancy and continue until your child is age one. TIP includes a combination of home visits and community-based services with the goal of supporting and educating parents to ensure that infants get off to a healthy start.
Local Public Health Nurses or Other Community-Based Home Visitation Programs: While funds are not yet available to offer home visitation to all pregnant women and infants in NJ, some communities in our state have other resources that may be available to assist you and your family. These may include mother-baby visits from the public health nursing unit of your local public health agency, or other maternal and child home visiting services from local health and/or social service agencies in your community.
