Program gives support to new mothers

March 18-- Mar. 18--SHARON -- Young, first-time moms-to-be now have a place in Mercer County where they can receive support and care from trained professionals who help ensure a healthy pregnancy.

Nurse-Family Partnership, which is a program of the Children's Advocacy Center of Lawrence County and UPMC Jameson, had its ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday at their new location at 33 Vine Ave. in Sharon.

The program focuses on low-income mothers and sends specially trained nurses to visit them beginning early in the pregnancy and through the child's second year. Nurse-Family Partnership supervisor Jeannie Mills visits the mothers at least twice a month and spends about 1,000 total days with the family, on average.

"(Mothers) are surprised how invested we are in them," Mills said. "Sometimes (the nurses) are the only consistent person in their lives ... Sometimes this is all (the support) they have."

The Vine Avenue location will also offer classes on various topics including breastfeeding, safe sleep and warning signs to consider during pregnancy. Nurse Home Visitor Emily Egbert said other times the nurses will just help teach them what it's like to be a mom.

"It's more complex than they imagine," Egbert said. "And we are helping them understand how different families work. A lot of times these moms don't want the same relationship with their kids that they had with their parents."

State and local officials in attendance for the ribbon cutting ceremony included state Rep. Mark Longietti, Mercer County Commissioners Scott Boyd and Tim McGonigle, and Sharon City Manager Bob Fiscus.

Longietti described Nurse-Family Partnership as an "evidence-based program with proven results," and said he has been working to help its services reach the area for the last seven years.

He said the partnership "is shown to produce better pregnancy outcomes, help with prevention of abuse and neglect, improve readiness and provide positive changes in a mother's life."

Mills also thanked Buhl Community Health Foundation and its executive director, Mickey Gula, for providing some funding necessary to bring Nurse-Family Partnerships into the area.

Mills said transportation is a common concern for the program throughout the state, and she and Egbert agreed that the issue would surely arise in Mercer County, as well.

"We've reached out to Mercer County transportation services, and have information and forms that clients may have to fill out to participate in those services," Mills said. "Many people might not even have a driver's license, and even if they did, might not have the means to get here."

Nurse-Family Partnership celebrates its 20th anniversary in May, but the program began to trickle into Mercer County roughly a year ago. With 24 clients in Mercer County now, Mills said she and her team have already doubled the original goal of adding one client per month for the first year. Statewide, Mills said Pennsylvania'sNurse-Family Partnership services more families than the same program in both Texas and California.

"Pennsylvania loves Nurse-Family Partnership and realizes it's importance," she said. "We are here. Please don't hesitate to call."

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