Family Connects International (FCI) is dedicated to strengthening family bonds and connecting newborns and their families to supportive community care resources through universal nurse home visits.
Our vision that every newborn gets the care and support they need to thrive.
The U.S. Has The Highest Pregnancy-Related Death Rate Among Developed Nations
Family Connects is a universal solution to a preventable crisis.
The policy team at FCI is committed to advocating for sustainability of Family Connects on the National, State, and local levels of government through our 2025 Policy Priorities:
Driving Sustainable, Innovative Investments in Family Connects
We work closely with our community partners to advocate for local investments that support the implementation, sustainability, and expansion of the Family Connects model. At Family Connects International (FCI), we prioritize building relationships with federal, state, and local policymakers to collaboratively develop diverse funding sources for local programs, exploring both traditional and nontraditional avenues. Our approach emphasizes a mixed funding model to ensure that free nurse home visits remain a core component of comprehensive family support programs. By integrating Family Connects into broader maternal and child health initiatives, we aim to improve outcomes for families and communities. Notably, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has recognized nurse home visitors as alternative providers for the first postpartum visit during the fourth trimester, citing research on the positive outcomes of the Family Connects model of universal newborn nurse home visiting.
Maternal Mortality - The Fourth Trimester
Since 2018, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has recommended that postpartum clinical visits occur within the first three weeks after birth. However, many new parents in the U.S. navigate the fourth trimester—the crucial 12-week postpartum period—without medical support, often waiting until 4–6 weeks postpartum for their first provider visit. Alarmingly, up to 40% of mothers do not attend a postpartum medical visit at all, with even lower attendance rates among those facing barriers to healthcare access. Recognizing this gap, ACOG has specifically highlighted nurse home visitors as alternative providers for the first postpartum visit during the fourth trimester. Research on the Family Connects model of universal newborn nurse home visiting has demonstrated its effectiveness in improving maternal and infant outcomes, reinforcing the importance of accessible, community-based postpartum care.
Universal System Alignment
Our community alignment efforts focus on organizing and distributing resources while identifying gaps in systems, policies, and processes to improve accessibility for all families. Through continuous quality improvement data reviews and discussions, we promote transparency and accountability, ensuring that families receive the support they need. Collaboration is at the heart of our approach. We work across various community systems—including medical providers, doulas, lactation consultants, early childhood education professionals, and social services—to strengthen connections and achieve shared goals. Public investments in Family Connects help maximize community resources, reinforcing the importance of a mixed funding model that sustains free nurse home visits as part of a comprehensive family support system. Notably, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has recognized nurse home visitors as alternative providers for the first postpartum visit during the fourth trimester, citing research on the positive outcomes of the Family Connects model.
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Family Connects
Fact Sheet
At FCI, we believe every newborn deserves the best start in life. That's why we use a universal approach to reach all families—including foster, adoptive, and bereaved parents—by offering a free nurse home visit for a comprehensive maternal and child health screening and personalized connection to local services that address their unique needs.
Family Connects Facts Sheet
Family Connects
2025
Policy Priorities
The policy team at FCI is committed to advocating for sustainability of Family Connects on the National, State, and local levels of government through our
2025 Policy Priorities
White Papers
White Paper; Keywords: ACEs, Social Determinants of Health, Whole Person Care
Authors: Debra L. Best, MD, FAAP and Kimberly J. Friedman, JD
Conclusion: “In conclusion, there is considerable opportunity for medical providers and community partners to work together to deliver whole person care that extends beyond the walls of the medical provider’s office and embraces community partners. These partnerships require collaboration and coordination between health care services and community programs and must be built with patients at the center. Innovative funding streams that incentivize partnerships and build bridges for data exchange must be developed. Public funds must be leveraged at federal, state and local levels, and the donor community must share a long-term vision and commitment to whole person care. By building and incentivizing an infrastructure that is founded upon a universal system of coordinated supports for all families and linking that system with the medical home, we ensure family-centered access to needed and desired referrals. We also move one step closer to connecting every caregiver and child to the healthy futures that they deserve.”
- Addressing Social Determinants of Health in the Postpartum Period Using Family Connects (2021) White Paper
Author: Family Connects International
Conclusion: “While screening and referrals in the postpartum period cannot resolve many of the complex and longstanding intangible and structural health inequities, the Family Connects model can help communities ensure that comprehensive care — care that encompasses the behavioral, emotional and social needs of families, in addition to physical health — is being addressed.”
Briefs
- Family Connects: A Prospective Economic Evaluation (2024) Springfield-Greene Health Department Family Connects Springfield-Greene County “Discounted at 3%, it is estimated that the cost savings of the Family Connects program will be $22.2 million. This includes the discounted present values of over $400,000 due to the reduction in ED visits, almost $16 million due to the reduction in inpatient visits, over $4 million due to the reduction in postpartum anxiety and almost $400,000 due to the reduction in CPS investigations. Based on a 7% annual discount rate, the cost savings are estimated to be over $20 million. The Family Connects program is expected to cost approximately $1.4 million annually. For every dollar invested in the Family Connects program, Greene County can expect approximately $4.08 in savings. This represents a 408% return on investment.”
- Family Connects: Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (2022). Report.Executive Summary “In May 2021, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill (ESSB) 5092 section 229 provided funding for the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to collaborate with a nonprofit in Pierce County to provide a brief voluntary newborn home visiting program. The agency was also directed to examine the feasibility of using different funding streams to fund this visitation model. This report should be viewed in conjunction with the earlier reports submitted in December 2019 and June 2020, which is included in the appendix. The earlier reports discussed in-depth specific broad funding strategies and are only referenced in this report. There are as many different ways to fund this type of visitation program as there are programs. In Washington, it could be feasible to fund a system of visitation utilizing Medicaid, private insurance, Title IV-E, and MIECHV dollars, in addition to partnerships with the public health sector to capitalize on any prevention dollars that exist outside of the social services and child welfare sector. Brief voluntary newborn home visiting is an evidence-based prevention technique. Any operation and expansion of the current pilot will require an explicit partnership between the three state agencies that govern these types of services: DCYF, the Department of Health (DOH), and Health Care Authority (HCA), along with an authentic partnership with local implementing agencies.”
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Family Connects: A Strategy to Improve Health During the Fourth Trimester (2021)
Brief on the Fourth Trimester: The three-month period immediately following giving birth. Author: Family Connects International
- A Paradigm Shift Toward Development of Equitable Population-level Solutions (2020) Brief Authors: By Kimberly J. Friedman, JD, and Krysta Gougler-Reeves, MSW, MPH “By incorporating an infrastructure that includes population-wide systems such as Family Connects, by building a strong and equitable public health system, and by encouraging flexibility for evidence-based home visiting programs during a crisis, we can carve a path forward that connects every caregiver and child to the healthy future that they deserve.”
Cristina Novoa is senior policy analyst for Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress. Simon Workman is the director of Early Childhood Policy at the Center.
Conclusion
As policymakers and advocates seek to give all children and families a strong start in life, a universally available family support model should be part of their agendas. Family Connects provides an example of such a model, and its promising outcomes and potential for cost savings make it broadly appealing to communities ranging from large cities such as Chicago—which recently began a pilot program in four hospitals—to midsize cities such as Durham to small rural communities. It even appeals to states: In June 2019, the Oregon Legislature approved a bill to expand Family Connects throughout the state over the course of several years, becoming the first state in the country to expand home visiting to all families.
As communities consider how best to serve families with newborns, it is critical to recognize that all families could benefit from additional help. Stakeholders should use the myriad resources available to help communities understand families’ needs, the different models available, the costs and returns on investments, and the potential outcomes of investing early.26 While the results of statewide implementation of Family Connects remain to be seen, the model’s strong track record of improving child outcomes for entire communities is certainly promising.
The Evidence
Family Connects is an evidence-based model designed to support all families of newborns. Two randomized controlled trials were conducted in Durham, NC, when the model was originally known as Durham Connects. We remain committed to high-quality research and data-driven improvements to continuously enhance the Family Connects Model and its impact on families and communities.