Home - Family Connects

Slide

EVERY FAMILY IS NURTURED AS THEY WELCOME A NEWBORN

Family Connects transforms care for families with newborns by partnering to offer nurse visits, so every family has access to healthcare, guidance, and connections.

Through our evidence-based universal nurse visiting model, we ensure every family with a newborn is supported, connected, and confident as they navigate early childhood and grow together.

Making an Impact, One Family at a Time

Our Journey Since 2017

149491

Families Served

250424

Referrals Made To Community Services

880

Nurses Trained

Where We Work

Discover where we work—click on a state below to explore our Family Connects locations.

Bring Family Connects to Your Community

Our Story

Family Connects International began in 2008 as a partnership between the Center for Child & Family Health and Duke University to support families with free, universal nurse home visits. In 2022, Family Connects became an independent nonprofit, expanding its reach and deepening its impact.

By integrating short-term nurse visits with community resources, Family Connects ensures families receive the support they need during the postpartum period. Today, we continue working nationwide to foster healthier outcomes for newborns and their families.

See Our Impact

Real Results That Make a Difference

Randomized controlled trials of the Family Connects Model in 2009 and 2014 revealing significant benefits:

50%

Fewer ER Visits and Hospital Stays for Babies in the First Year

30%

Lower Risk of Postpartum Depression for Mothers

15%

Increase in Community Resource Engagement

News & Highlights

Family Connects Seeks Policy Strategy Consultant

July 29, 2026

Continue Reading Family Connects Seeks Policy Strategy Consultant

Family Connects Seeks Board Governance Consultant

July 14, 2026

Continue Reading Family Connects Seeks Board Governance Consultant

Family Connects’ Strategic Plan to Envision a National Standard for Postpartum Care

July 6, 2026

Continue Reading Family Connects’ Strategic Plan to Envision a National Standard for Postpartum Care

The Latest from Family Connects on Facebook

Family Connects

2 days ago

Why do we do what we do at Family Connects? Bringing home a newborn is one of the most joyful moments in life—but it can also be overwhelming, exhausting, and filled with questions.At Family Connects, our team of nurses, policy leaders, data specialists, and implementation experts share one common goal: ensuring every family feels supported, heard, and connected from day one.Here is why our team is proud to do this work:-Support for Every Famiy: Connecting families directly with registered nurse home visits.-Data-Driven Care: Using evidence to shape every program, resource, and decision.-Community Alignment: Tailoring resources and referrals to each family’s unique needs.-Impact That Matters: Working to improve health outcomes and reduce preventable maternal deaths.Because when we know better, we can do better for families. Family is our BEST investment.Join the movement: familyconnects.org#FamilyConnects #MaternalHealth #PostpartumSupport #NewbornCare #CommunityHealth #PublicHealth #ParentingSupport … See MoreSee Less

Video

View on Facebook

Family Connects

3 days ago

Calling All Policy Experts!Family Connects is accepting proposals for a Policy Strategy Consultant to develop and guide a federal policy strategy. As an organization dedicated to transforming care for all families in the postpartum period, we partner to offer nurse visits, ensuring every family has access to healthcare, guidance, and connection. We are at a pivotal moment and seek a consulting partner to help us build upon our federal legislative and agency efforts to create a clear, actionable plan for implementation in the 120th Congress.Our ideal partner will help us identify and develop a roadmap to navigate the congressional funding landscape by demonstrating relevant policy expertise, strong bipartisan relationships, a comprehensive approach, and alignment with Family Connects’ priorities. The primary objectives of this engagement include:-Written strategic plan-Recommended federal funding pathway-Prioritized stakeholder and champion engagement plan-Supporting materials that FCI can use to guide internal decision-making and external advocacy.Important RFP Details:-Proposal Submission Deadline: 5:00 PM ET on August 14, 2026-Projected Contract Start Date: September 2026-Submission Instructions: Submit your electronic proposal to jordan@familyconnects.org.-Questions regarding this RFP may be directed to Jordan Wildermuth, Senior Policy Director at jordan@familyconnects.org.Learn more about the opportunity and submission requirements in our Request for Proposals: familyconnects.org/2026/07/14/family-connects-seeks-board-governance-consultant/#FamilyConnects #Policy #Consultants … See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook

Family Connects

3 days ago

For communities, Family Connects is more than a program—it’s infrastructure.It strengthens connections across systems.It reduces strain on emergency response and social services.It ensures families are supported early and equitably.And over time, it helps build a community where support after birth is notfragmented—but coordinated, expected, and accessible to all.Family Connects as a piece of the community resilience puzzle.Learn more about our plan to build a brighter future for growing families:familyconnects.org/strategic-plan#FamilyConnects #SystemChange #StrongerCommunities #PublicHealth#StandardOfCare … See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook

Bring Family Connects to Your Community

Join us in providing vital support to newborns and their families by implementing Family Connects in your area.

Get Started

COMMITTEE MEMBER, FOUNDER

Dr. Karen O’Donnell is Associate Professor (retired), Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center and Director of Prevention and Global Initiatives at the Center for Child and Family Health (also retired). She is a Senior Research Fellow at Duke Global Health Initiative. She received her graduate training in special education (M.Ed.) and clinical psychology (Ph.D.) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed post-doctoral study in Early Childhood at the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle.

She has been a Licensed Practicing Psychologist in North Carolina since 1988. Her expertise focuses on infant and early childhood and development, traumatic stress, parenting, maternal mental health and treatment, the effects of in utero cocaine and HIV exposure on early development, and child and family assessment. Dr. O’Donnell is the lead author on the PEPFAR funded Child Status Index (CSI), now used to assess orphans and other vulnerable children in over 16 resource poor countries; the CSI provided the model for the Family Support Matrix, used in the Family Connects program. She continues to be an active participant in the implementation of the universal short-term home visiting program for newborns and their families, Family Connects, and its national dissemination.