Maternal and Family Health Services (MFHS) announced that it has received a $8,000 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation for their Nurse-Family Partnership Infant and Child Safety and Mentoring Project. The MFHS Nurse-Family Partnership serves low-income, at-risk families in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna and Wayne counties, empowering them to transform their lives and create better futures for themselves and their babies.

“This funding will help the mothers we serve through Nurse-Family Partnership as they work to create a safe home environment for their infants and toddlers,” says MFHS President and CEO Maria Montoro Edwards, Ph.D. “We will be able to provide home safety items like baby gates and furniture anchors to families that might not otherwise be able to afford them. Additionally, our nurses will be able to take the National Child Passenger Safety certification training and be able to administer child safety seat checks.”

The Nurse-Family Partnership is a national program that works by having specially educated nurses regularly visit at-risk moms-to-be, starting early in the pregnancy and continuing through the child’s second birthday. MFHS has offered the NFP Program in Northeast Pennsylvania since 2001. Traditionally, only first-time at-risk mothers have been eligible to participate in NFP; however, after participating in an NFP National Service Office pilot, MFHS now provides the program to both new mothers and those who have already had children.

“With this award from the Spitz Foundation, our nurses will be able to work with the moms in our program to build understanding and knowledge of home safety during pregnancy as they prepare for their baby, and then provide ongoing support and guidance on child safety as their children grow,” said Dr. Montoro Edwards. 

In photo (left to right): 

Frank Caputo, Grants and Communications Coordinator, Scranton Area Community Foundation
Cathy Fitzpatrick, Grants and Scholarships Manager, Scranton Area Community Foundation
Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO, Scranton Area Community Foundation
Ann Jones, Director of Nurse Family Partnership, Maternal and Family Health Services

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Maternal and Family Health Services is a non-profit health and human service organization working to improve the health of Pennsylvania women and children by offering programs that prevent disease, promote wellness, and empower individuals to make healthy lifestyle choices. The agency oversees a network of health and nutrition centers in 17 Pennsylvania counties serving nearly 90,000 individuals each year through the following core programs: WIC Nutrition Program, Family Planning Program, Nurse-Family Partnership, Cancer Screening Services, the SafeTeens Initiative, and the Healthy Beginnings Plus Prenatal Program. For more information, call 1-800-367-6347, or visit www.mfhs.org. 

The Scranton Area Community Foundation has served as administrator for the Robert H. Spitz Foundation since 2016. To date, the Robert H. Spitz Foundation has provided over $4.6 million in grant funding to the community. Learn more about the Robert H. Spitz Foundation at www.safdn.org.