New Jersey is one of 19 states to use the Family Connects model, allowing nurses to visit new mothers and babies for free one week after being released from the hospital. Nurses check on the health of both patients, consult other family members and provide families with resources, such as breastfeeding help, mental health support and food or housing assistance. The program costs about $700 per family but reduced emergency room visits for newborns and mothers, reduces postpartum depression, anxiety and incidents of child abuse, according to the report.
New Jersey will expand the program to six counties, which has already helped about 1,300 new mothers. As of March, 1 in 10 visits resulted in an emergency room visit for either the mom or baby.
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