Nurse partnership programme benefits vulnerable young families

Young mums and their families around England are being given the chance to improve their babies lives through the Family Nurse Partnership Programme (FNP).

The FNP is a £36 million programme to provide intensive support for potentially vulnerable first time mums with specially trained nurses working with them through early pregnancy and until the child reaches two years of age.

The programme launched in ten areas in April 2007: Barnsley, County Durham and Darlington, Derby, Manchester, Slough, Somerset, South East Essex, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Walsall.

Since then, the results from the programme have been collated and further areas throughout 2008 and 2009 have joined up.

Results from the programme show that the initiative has a positive effect on the reduction of smoking during pregnancy and increasing the rates of breastfeeding.

Involvement from fathers is a key element in the programme, along with a strong relationship between mother and nurse.

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said: “Becoming a parent is a life changing event and caring for a child can sometimes be challenging. The Family Nurse Partnership programme provides a new way of working with young parents who need our help the most and I am pleased to see that it is successfully offering young mothers and fathers access to the best advice for making positive decisions for themselves and their families.”

The project is not currently running in Bristol, but there are plans to expand to 70 sites across England by April 2011.

The FNP scheme was first developed in America where the programme was found to have health benefits alongside reductions in anti-social behaviour and better educational prospects.