Nurse-Family Partnership^®'s humble beginning more than six years ago seems like a distant memory. But not for Unique Johnson, her son Ezra and their nurse, Marilynn Berry-Stamm.

It’s hard to believe that it has been a full year since the merger of the central and southern Indiana Goodwills. One of the primary motivations for the merger was the desire to increase the pace with which we could deliver mission services to southern Indiana.

Implemented by Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana since 2011, Nurse-Family Partnership pairs first-time, low-income mothers with registered nurses who guide women through their pregnancies and ensure children reach critical developmental milestones through their second birthday. Supported by more than 35 years of research, this evidenced-based program addresses the health, development and well-being of low-income mothers and their families. Nurse-Family Partnership has shown positive, long-term change while conserving taxpayer resources.

This past October the Nurse-Family Partnership [NFP] program celebrated a new group of moms and families. Thanks to having six years worth of program participants, NFP is now able to celebrate a whole new chapter of NFP.

Lisa Sledge's first client, in 2011, was a 19-year-old, married Burmese woman referred to Nurse-Family Partnership by a Southside high school. Lisa immediately decided an honest approach was best, "Forgive my ignorance," she said, "but I don't know much about your culture." 

Nurse-Family Partnership participants graduate from the program when their child turns two years old and then have the option to continue engaging with Goodwill programs through the NFP Graduate Program. Visits with a nurse-home visitor stop, however the mom and family, if desired, may meet with a Goodwill Guide for ongoing support and resources focused on child development, school readiness, economic stability and self-sufficiency.

Tala'ra Maull was just six months old when she took her first international flight, to her mother's home country of Nepal. There her maternal relatives doted on the baby, and now a toddler she remains the apple of her parent's eye.

When Taketria Reed first heard about Nurse-Family Partnership, she didn’t know what it was. What she did know was that she didn’t know anything about having a baby or being a mom. When she received the details about NFP, she decided to sign up. She and her NFP Nurse-Home Visitor Heidi Birkey clicked right away.

Although a teenager at the time, when Dominique Daye learned she was pregnant, her priorities became her son and planning for their future. She didn't have a car or a stable living environment, so she moved from Indianapolis to O'Connor House, a home for single mothers and their children located in Carmel, where she stayed for more than 18 months until she could secure a place of her own.