Community Insights: Public Health Department’s Nurse-Family Partnership

Hi, I’m Eric Eicher, employee, owner, and president of Alpine Banker in Durango. At Alpine Bank, we believe in the power of community and connecting you with the resources you need to work, live, and play in our community. I hope you enjoy this edition of Community Insights.

For first time moms, having a helping hand during pregnancy in the early stages of motherhood can make all the difference. The Nurse Family Partnership provided by the Public Health Department is dedicated to guiding new families through this important journey. The NFP helps first time parents establish healthy habits, build confidence, and create a secure home for their baby. It’s a national program available in 40 states, including all throughout Colorado. In southwest Colorado, the NFP currently serves 60 patients.

Nurse Family Partnership is a program that partners nurses with first time moms or families to support them during pregnancy. And the program can last until the child turns two years old.

Becoming a first time parent comes with many challenges. NFP helps smooth this transition by connecting new mothers with trusted registered nurses.

We’ll bring resources to you or offer you online sources as a starting point and just hear where you are in a non-judgmental space. So you know, we’re not here to tell you how to parent or how to take care of yourself. We’re here to guide and partner with you, so that way you can make the decisions that feel best for you and your family.

Parenting is unique for each family, and the NFP offers tailored guidance and resources to meet the diverse needs of new parents.

NFP supports parents by creating, again, that space and time for them to reflect on their experience. Every parenting journey is different, and from child to child, they’re very different. So what we do is we provide information about growth and development, resources.

At times, all that may be needed is moral support, but each client is assessed based on their individual needs.

So I think one of the things I hear a lot from clients is that they really enjoy having that space of me just being present with them to hear their ups and downs as a parent. Parenting is not an easy job by any means. It’s a huge job, and to balance all these different things that the clients I work with, having somebody even just show up on a regular basis to say, “Hey, you’re doing a good job. What tools, what support, what do you need today?” Or is it just me being here to see the strengths you have as a parent and let’s celebrate those.

Parenting doesn’t come with a handbook. So the NFP was created to offer a non-judgmental space ensuring both parents and child are supported throughout the first couple years.

This program is called Nurse Family Partnership, because it’s a partnership with a nurse and the family. So, you know, we don’t just serve the mom, we serve the child, we serve anyone else that Mom feels is important to invite into that space. So, you know, we love when dads join our visits. We love when grandparents join our visits, because it just means that we’re able to support the whole family in a way that best suits them.

Empowering families in La Plata County and beyond, NFP ensures no parent navigates early parenthood alone. The program is free to those who meet the income eligibility requirements and have less than a bachelor’s degree. For more information, visit the Public Health Department’s website. We’re proud to present Community Insights powered by the local news network, and sponsored by Alpine Bank. With Community Insights, our mission is to foster a stronger and more connected community in La Plata County and beyond. For more information about this and other stories, visit DurangoLocal.News. Thank you for watching this edition of Community Insights. I’m Sadie Smith.