Family Connects

Family Connects Mercer County is a partnership to provide free at-home nurse visits for parents who live in Mercer County and give birth at Capital Health, regardless of household income or health insurance status. Home visits are expected to begin in December 2021.

The program is a partnership among Trenton Health Team, Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, Capital Health, Family Connects International®, The Burke Foundation and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families. See press release

Central Jersey Family Health Consortium is actively recruiting Nurse Home Visitors. Click here to see their job opportunities.

Parents will be given the opportunity to enroll in the program while in the hospital. For more information contact FamilyConnects@trentonhealthteam.org or call (609) 337-4317.

Family Connects Mercer County — the first program of its kind in New Jersey — aligns with recommendations laid out by the Nurture NJ Strategic Plan, an initiative of First Lady Tammy Murphy addressing maternal and infant mortality in New Jersey.

New Jersey ranks among the worst states regarding maternal and infant health. Two-thirds of infant deaths occur within 28 days of birth, according to THT’s 2019 Community Health Needs and Assets report. In Mercer County, the infant mortality rate is 7.0 infant deaths per 1,000 live births–exceeding both state and national rates (4.1 and 5.9).

Family Connects Mercer County builds on THT’s ongoing efforts to improve maternal and child health outcomes, including convening a group of area stakeholders to address challenges and opportunities in a coordinated, comprehensive manner.

Participants will be offered 1-3 home visits by a highly trained registered nurse and linking them to community resources that meet their individual needs and preferences. Family Connects Mercer County is collaborating with local agencies, ensuring resources offered to families are current and identifying any gaps in needed services.

Family Connects International®, based in Durham, NC, oversees the dissemination of the evidence-based Family Connects model including a clinical and social assessment, referral to appropriate services, such as pediatric care, lactation support, social services, behavioral health services, and more. Researchers have found that by the time a baby was six months old, participating families had enhanced connections to community resources, positive parenting skills, less maternal anxiety and fewer emergency room visits.