More disadvantaged new parents in Winchester & Chandler's Ford will benefit from one to one help and support from a specialist nurse, thanks to the Family Nurse Partnership.
Around 11,000 families are already benefitting from personalised support from family nurses and Conservatives in Government will extend this to a further 16,000 of the most disadvantaged parents by 2015. This follows initial research showing support from family nurses helped boost mothers' self-esteem and their ability to return to education and employment when their children are old enough for them to do so.
The Family Nurse Partnership makes interventions for young first time parents, and is an intensive, structured, home visiting programme, which is offered to first time parents under the age of 20. A specially trained family nurse visits the mother regularly from early pregnancy until the baby is 2 years old and builds a close, supportive relationship with the family.
Steve Brine said: "Parents across Winchester & Chandler's Ford could benefit from this extra support. Family nurses do a great job helping new parents give their children the kind of start in life they need to succeed. This announcement again shows our commitment to helping people who do the right thing and want to get on in life."
The Government has awarded £17.5 million to partnership organisations to take forward the work of the Family Nurse Partnership. A partnership of Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, Impetus Trust and the Social Research Unit at Dartington will be awarded funding to take this work forward. They will be responsible for the national leadership, strategic development and governance as well as education and coaching of family nurses and supervisors.