One of the main purposes of the “Champions” blog is to highlight success stories from family support home visiting programs that illustrate how vital they are in building family resiliency. TexProtects advocated for the legislative funding that helped bring Nurse-Family Partnership to Texas, and has been a strong supporter of NFP ever since.
During the 86th Texas Legislature, TexProtects is advocating for state funding of NFP to be increased by $12 million, allowing it to reach an additional 1,200 families per year during Fiscal Years 2020-21.
My name is Megan Farrar and I am a proud mother and Nurse-Family Partnership graduate. My nurse Suzanne became a big part of my life and helped me to be the best mom I could be!
In addition to being a mother, a wife, a friend, a sister, an aunt and daughter – I was recently named a Nurse-Family Partnership Parent Ambassador. I am on a pivotal mission to serve as a dedicated parent voice to advocate for NFP families and share the impact of Nurse-Family Partnership.
When I found out I was pregnant, I had been working for just 7 months after being unemployed. My new job didn’t offer health insurance, and luckily, a coworker told me how to sign up for Medicaid. I began seeing a midwife, who was concerned about my risk for gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. She referred me to the national Nurse Family Partnership program at WiNGS in Dallas, Texas. I loved the idea of having my own personal nurse to visit me from pregnancy until my child turned 2.
From the first meeting with nurse Suzanne, she became a valuable person in my life. I didn’t know much about safety practices and nutrition, and had so many questions. Suzanne would offer objective advice and guidance without making me feel like I was doing something wrong. She helped me to learn how to monitor my body throughout pregnancy and advocate for my health concerns.
The moment Daphne was born, everything about my life changed. My birth experience resulted in a cesarean section, and like so many moms I was taking on the most important role of my life while recovering from major abdominal surgery. Nurse Suzanne came more frequently during this fragile time and taught me the importance of refueling and remaining flexible.
She began to coach me towards economic self-sufficiency. She suggested I attend a women’s entrepreneur program, which inspired me to think about the possibility of owning my own business. I set and achieved goals to complete enrichment education courses. In the middle of this, I also got married and together we have been working towards providing a stable and prosperous future for our family.
Five years ago, I wasn’t even sure having a family was a possibility, and now we have a beautiful and bright 2-year-old daughter with a vocabulary that surpasses her peers. Daphne has already begun reading and loves to dress up and dance to music in the kitchen. It is amazing to see the world unfold through my child’s eyes.
Nurse Suzanne showered me with positive and unyielding support, and I achieved my full potential as a caring and nurturing mother. Now, I am embarking on a new journey as a Nurse-Family Partnership Parent Ambassador. I wish all moms could experience this life-changing program. It is the gold-standard in improving outcomes for at-risk mothers. With my new team of fellow Parent Ambassadors, we are making a difference for moms and families in our communities.
To learn more about Nurse-Family Partnership, please visit nursefamilypartnership.org.
