The Nurse-Family Partnership

Each day in the United States, 2,447 babies are born into poverty. But a group of nurses is giving some of them a proven boost — starting before they're even born.

Katie Couric reported on the Nurse-Family Partnership. Read more about this group's effort to help first-time mothers succeed — and how to find a nurse where you live.

What Is The Nurse-Family Partnership?

It is a voluntary nursing home visitation program that focuses its efforts on working with low-income, first-time parents and their children in order to improve the health and well-being of communities. Based in Denver, the Nurse-Family Partnership sends registered nurses to visit the homes of families with newborns; the nurses continue visiting and supporting the family until the child is 2 years old.

Women can enroll in the program as early in their pregnancy as they like. Ideally, visits from a nurse begin with the 16th week of pregnancy, focusing on the woman's health and family-friend support system. Sixty-four planned visits are scheduled from pregnancy through the child's toddlerhood.

The Nurse-Family Partnership currently serves families in more than 280 counties in 22 states. It works with and is funded by: The National Center for Children, Families and Communities, located at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center.