Each Child. Every Community.

October is an exciting month for Smart Start’s Family Connects pilot sites; all three sites launched and began serving the families of newborns! These sites, covering eight counties, will serve nearly 10,000 North Carolina families over three years. This partnership of Smart Start and Family Connects is a powerful step toward ensuring every family in the state has access to the services and supports they need to thrive.

• Family Connects Northwest Region, serving Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties.
• Family Connects Henderson County, serving Henderson, and Polk counties.
• Family Connects Southeastern Region, serving Cumberland, Hoke, and Robeson counties.

Funded by the federal Preschool Development Grant, the new sites combine Family Connects’ universal home visiting model with the community assets and local services coordinated by the Smart Start network. This partnership provides particular attention to serving rural communities, where accessing health resources can be challenging. It has also created an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of delivering Family Connects virtually.

Participating families receive a visit from a registered nurse who helps navigate newborn and postpartum health concerns, provides support and guidance on topics like breastfeeding and home safety, links families to community services, and helps new parents learn to better connect with their infants.

The Family Connects model was developed in partnership with Duke University’s Center for Child and Family Policy, the non-profit Center for Child & Family Health, and the Durham County Health Department. The first version was piloted in 2008 in Durham. Documented positive outcomes of the model include:

• reduced incidence of child maltreatment
• reduced maternal depression and anxiety
• increased family-community connections
• safer home environments
• increased positive parenting behaviors

Read more about this exciting partnership between Smart Start and Family Connects in this publication.