Reachup

Facilitates increased opportunities to strengthen women, children, and families to create the foundation for healthy communities. Infant mortality (babies dying before their first birthday) and low birthweight (less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces) remain major public health issues in the U.S., at risk for reducing society's potential physical, social, and human capital and/or requiring significant medical, educational and other expenses. With a focus on decreasing risk-taking behaviors and inattention to good health practice as well as community and societal concerns, the Central Hillsborough Healthy Start (CHHS) Project, from 1998 to the present, has reduced the infant mortality rate by 56% in areas served. This reduction is unparalleled in comparison to most other organizations, nationwide, attempting to reduce infant mortality, and represents cost savings ranging from $90,000 to $275,000 per birth.

Nurse Family Partnership is an evidence based, nurse-led home visitation program for low income, first time pregnant women. Goals are to improve pregnancy outcomes by helping women engage in good preventative health practices, improve child health and development and improve the economic self-sufficiency of the family. NFP focused on first-time mothers because it is during a first pregnancy when the best chance exists to promote and teach positive health and development behaviors. NFP also improves child health and development, and advances the economic self-sufficiency of the family by helping parents develop a vision for their own future, plan future pregnancies, continue their education and find work. Independent research shows that when communities adopt the Nurse-Family Partnership model, they are making a smart investment with a solid return on their investment.

Positively impact early parenting behaviors by increasing social support and early parenting skills. This includes engaging and serving pregnant women whose infants are at highest risk for poor health, social and cognitive outcomes and whose infants would benefit most from breastfeeding; supporting the growth and development of current fathers, expectant fathers and father-figures in the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and practices of nurturing parenting; and addressing stress and social isolation in expectant and parenting moms and other women who support them. Program activities, which are strength-based rather than deficit based, are more effective in promoting increased and sustainable change. Extensive outreach with providers and community organizations takes advantage of the synergistic effect, or collective impact, of collaboration among partners.