Service to First-Time Moms and Families in Texas is at Risk
DENVER, COLO. (May 24, 2023) — The National Service Office for Nurse-Family Partnership and Child First urges the Texas legislature to increase funding for Nurse-Family Partnership ® (NFP) in Texas in the legislature’s final budget this week. Without an increased investment to NFP’s home-visiting program, the ability to serve first-time moms and families in Texas is at risk.
Nurse-Family Partnership is an evidence-based community health program that pairs low-income first-time moms with a registered nurse to provide home visits from pregnancy through age two of the child. First time moms receive the care, support and resources they need to have a healthy pregnancy, improve their child’s health and development and become more economically self-sufficient.
Texas’ 88th legislative session is currently underway in Austin with a requirement to pass a budget agreed upon by the House and Senate by May 29. A recent Budget Conference Committee decision added fewer dollars to the Texas Nurse-Family Partnership program than were added in the 87th legislative session’s temporary federal funds. For this reason, NFP calls on the legislature to increase funds to this critical program for Texas moms.
“The 4 million dollars in additional funds for Texas Nurse-Family Partnership is 1.2 million dollars less than the temporary federal funds the legislature added to the line-item last session.” explains Brittany McAllister, senior government affairs manager for Nurse-Family Partnership. “At a time when nursing salaries and cost of living are on the rise, these dollars not only represent a cut from last session but a decrease in the services our programs are able to provide for the same dollar.”
McAllister says, “Texas moms need more support than ever and we strongly urge the legislature not to reduce funding for Texas Nurse-Family Partnership.”
NFP in Texas has the capacity to serve approximately 4,400 families at any given time. Out of the 23 total NFP local network partner locations operating in Texas, 17 locations depend on funding through the Texas Nurse-Family Partnership line item to operate.
Dallas resident Jacqueline Green graduated from NFP in 2021. “I was very scared and unsure of what to expect when I got pregnant,” Green says. “My NFP nurse gave me the resources and tools to find a job, fix my credit, be financially stable and get scholarships for college. Her support was the foundation I needed to start my motherhood journey right.”
Through increased investment to NFP, Texas can continue to provide and enhance a statewide system of high-quality home visiting services that will strengthen, support and promote prenatal health, family well-being and economic self-sufficiency, and prevent child abuse and neglect in the state.