Sandra Martinez was a freshman in high school when she learned she was pregnant. She struggled to keep up with her course work and was eventually forced to withdraw. Fortunately, Sandra has a solid support system that is committed to ensuring she earns her diploma and succeeds as a parent.

Novah Norris Campbell was a junior in high school when she learned she was pregnant. At 14 weeks, she enrolled in Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership, a program that pairs first-time, low-income moms with a registered nurse who helps them achieve a healthy pregnancy and provide competent care for their babies.

Over 40 years of research proves the Nurse-Family Partnership^® model of working with first-time mothers can change behavior and lead to healthier birth outcomes. But can NFP positively influence the pregnancies of women who have had previous births? What impact does a nurse home visitor have on the development of older children in the home? These are the questions that NFP Founder Dr. David Olds wants to answer by studying multiparous moms—women who have borne more than one child.

Eskenazi Health is a champion of Goodwill’s NFP, evidenced by the fact that they made 851 referrals in 2017! Our partnership complements their own Healthy Families initiative, a free, community-based program that supports Marion County families with newborns.

Nurse-Family Partnership mom Christina, 29, credits her pregnancy, the birth of her daughter Kalea and the help of Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership as reasons why she’s not another statistic.

Mental Health Matters

About one in seven women will experience some type of mood or anxiety disorder during pregnancy or through the first year postpartum. While depression and anxiety are common, pregnant and postpartum women can experience a myriad of mental health conditions, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and, in rare cases, psychosis.

Dianna Tolentino was referred to Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership® program by her OB in 2013.

Grace is a typical 5-year-old who likes to play dress up and watch cartoons on YouTube. She’s healthy, has lots of friends and has hit every developmental milestone since infancy. She’s eager to start kindergarten. Each of these things is a small miracle given that her mother’s journey to Indianapolis began 20 years ago and more than 8,000 miles away.

Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership^® (NFP) pairs mothers pregnant with their first child with a registered nurse for ongoing home visits aimed at supporting mothers and families in providing the very best start for their children during the earliest, most developmentally critical years. NFP is an international, community health program, widely researched and recognized for increasing health care access and improving health outcomes.

Goodwill’s NFP expanded its reach in southern Indiana in early 2017 and our first baby was born in November.