Page 38
37
This initiative meets TANF purpose number two, which is to end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage; purpose number three, which is to prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of- wedlock pregnancies; and purpose number four, which is to encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) This initiative is funded with commingled funds. Effective October 1999, NFP provides evidence-based visiting nurse services to eligible low-income, first-time pregnant individuals only. Services are delivered by registered nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing who follow guidelines that focus on the individual’s personal health, quality of care provided to the child and the parent’s own life-course development. The purposes of this initiative are as follows: Improve pregnancy outcomes by partnering with pregnant individuals to engage in good preventative health practices including obtaining thorough prenatal care from their health care providers, improving their nutrition, and reducing any use of habit-forming substances.
Improve child health and development by assisting families to provide responsible and competent care.
Improve the economic self-sufficiency of the family by supporting parents to develop a vision for their own future, plan additional pregnancies, continue their education and find work. Eligibility requirements for this initiative are as follows: Must be enrolled into the program by 28 weeks gestation; pregnant with the first child; and Must have a gross annual earned income that does not exceed 235 percent of the FPIGs. Across the country, 28 NFP Network Partners participated in the formative study of Nurse-Family Partnership for individuals with previous live births (multiparous or “multips.”). Nine of those Network Partners were in Pennsylvania. The purpose of the formative study was to determine the feasibility of enrolling and serving multiparous individuals in NFP and the additional supports, materials, education, etc., that nurses might need to serve this population, if desired. This initiative meets TANF purpose number two, which is to end dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage. As