This first Force for Good Award recognizes policymakers for making a difference for families in poverty
DENVER, CO (August 20, 2018) — Nurse-Family Partnership ® (NFP) – a national program serving first-time moms and their children living in poverty –has awarded Utah Senator Luz Escamilla (D-Salt Lake City) and Utah Representative Ed Redd (R- Logan) with the first Force for Good Public Policy Awards. Their leadership will expand evidence-based nurse home visiting services, such as Nurse-Family Partnership, to improve health outcomes for more moms and babies in poverty.
Senator Escamilla and Representative Redd introduced and led the bipartisan passage of Senate Bill 161 in March, which creates an evidence-based nurse home visiting pay for success program within the Utah Department of Health. The bill will hold programs like Nurse-Family Partnership accountable to achieving the following outcomes for Utah families: reducing preterm births and child injuries, and increasing child immunizations and maternal post-partum depression screenings. The pay for success structure established in the bill calls for private investors to provide the upfront capital for the program expansion, and then state government will only pay back investors when the program achieves the outlined measurable results.
“Senator Escamilla and Representative Redd have shown great leadership towards investing in what works to improve birth outcomes and maternal and child health for vulnerable moms and babies throughout Utah,” said Kelly Headrick, national director of advocacy and state government relations at Nurse-Family Partnership. “Their commitment will lead to healthier outcomes for Utah families and stronger communities.”
Nurse-Family Partnership at the Salt Lake County Health Department serves families in all 16 cities and six townships within Salt Lake County. In Utah, Nurse-Family Partnership has served more than 1,500 families since 2008.
The Nurse-Family Partnership Force for Good Public Policy Award recognizes elected officials for making a difference for more 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.