Force for Good Award recognizes policymakers for making a difference for families in poverty
DENVER, CO (May 14, 2019) — Nurse-Family Partnership ® (NFP) – a national program serving first-time moms and their children living in poverty – has awarded the Force for Good Public Policy Award to Texas State Representative John Zerwas (R-Richmond).
Representative Zerwas, who has been a physician in the Houston area for more than 30 years, is serving his seventh term in the Texas House of Representatives and is chair of the Appropriations Committee. He represents District 28, which includes Fort Bend County, one of the fastest growing areas in the state.
A long-time supporter of Nurse-Family Partnership, Zerwas has helped to secure additional funding to serve more moms and babies in Texas.
Zerwas’s successful advocacy will enable Nurse-Family Partnership to expand access to its home visiting services, which have been shown to improve health and developmental outcomes for moms and babies in poverty, as well as improving their economic self-sufficiency.
“As a physician, Representative Zerwas knows the importance of investing in direct services that have remarkable results for mothers and their children in Texas and across the U.S.,” said Kim Griffin, Texas executive director for Nurse-Family Partnership. “As a legislator who has worked closely in the arenas of human services and public health, Zerwas has been a stalwart supporter of Nurse-Family Partnership, which has been recognized nationally as a model of a successful, cost-effective, evidence-based program.”
In Houston, Nurse-Family Partnership has programs based at the Baylor Teen Clinic, the Houston Health Department and Texas Children’s Health Plan. Nurse-Family Partnership was established in Texas in 2006, and has served more than 31,000 families in 41 counties.
Zerwas has been building support for the program among his colleagues in the Texas Legislature since 2012. “Nurse-Family Partnership is one of the proven ways to help young moms establish themselves and prevent child abuse,” he said.
In 2013, he championed the Home Visiting Expansion and Accountability Act, which significantly increased funding for Nurse-Family Partnership and other home visiting services across the state.
The Nurse-Family Partnership Force for Good Public Policy Award recognizes elected officials for making a difference for families in poverty. Dr. David Olds, founder of Nurse-Family Partnership, describes the impact of Nurse-Family Partnership as a force for good that changes the future for two generations.
Over 40 years of evidence show that Nurse-Family Partnership improves birth outcomes, child development and school readiness, reduces child abuse and neglect and juvenile crime, among other outcomes.
According to the RAND Corporation, every $1 invested in Nurse-Family Partnership can yield up to $5.70 in return for the highest-risk families served.