JACKSON – Northampton County Schools has entered into an agreement with Northeast Collaborative Nurse-Family Partnership.

According to a press release from NCS, the action was approved unanimously by the Northampton County Schools Board of Education during their regular meeting earlier this month.

In January 2012, the Northampton County Health Department received funding from a State Incentive Grant from the Nurse Family Partnership National Service Office to implement the Nurse Family Partnership Program (NFP). This program seeks to improve the maternal health, child development, and economic self-sufficiency of first-time, low income mothers and their children.

The Nurse Family Partnership National Service Office selected Northampton County Schools to receive this funding. One purpose of these funds is to support collaboration between school systems and other organizations to promote the partnering of a Registered Nurse and the first-time mother to provide support and education. The NFP will provide this program to students pregnant with their first child, while allowing for one elective credit to be received upon completion of 14 home visits in the NFP program.

Northampton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric C. Bracy was elated with the agreement.

“This is an outstanding day in the lives of expectant mothers in our school system,” he said. “Now they have even more support in addition from that they receive from their families in their quest for a healthy pregnancy, childbirth, and completion of high school and graduation.”

He continued by saying, “Resources such as this were not available a generation ago, and as a result innumerable students had no other choice but to discontinue their education to attend to the needs of their baby. Not anymore, and I am certain that this is a win-win for all.”

Kelly Traylor, RN, MSN, nurse supervisor for the Northeast Collaborative Nurse-Family Partnership said the agreement between Nurse-Family Partnership and Northampton County Schools is a great example of the community’s united approach to improving the lives of young people.

“Now our clients in Northampton County may work toward having healthier pregnancies and healthier families with minimal interruption to their high school studies,” she said “Nurse-Family Partnership is truly working to give our community’s mothers the best possible chance for success.”

Sue Gay, Northampton County Health Director said she was happy with NCS joining the effort.

“We are so pleased with the support the Northampton School System has given, at every level, to the Nurse Family Partnership initiative that serves a four county area,” she said.

In August, Nurse-Family Partnership was launched in Herford, Northampton, Halifax and Edgecombe counties. The Northampton County Health Department administers the program.

NFP, based in Denver, Colo., is one of the nation’s oldest nurse home visitation programs. Through regular in-home consultations, registered nurses work with first-time moms to improve pregnancy outcomes, promote healthy child development and improve the economic self-sufficiency of the family. Home visits begin early in the mother’s pregnancy and continue until the child is two years old. The program also encourages participation from fathers and other family members.