UnitedHealthcare helps first-time moms in Pennsylvania

Becoming a mom for the first time can feel overwhelming, no matter who you are. Add in the stress of a difficult financial situation and the pressure may be even more daunting. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many women and children in Pennsylvania.

The state ranks in the middle-of-the-pack (26th) for children living in poverty, has 6.1 infant deaths per every 1,000 live births in the state and 8.4 percent of all infants in the state have a low birth weight, according to United Health Foundation’s 2019 America’s Health Rankings Report.

To help address many of these issues, the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) is an organization which serves vulnerable first-time moms in Pennsylvania in the hopes of transforming their lives and creating better futures for themselves and their babies. NFP’s Nurse Home Visitors program works with low-income women who are pregnant with their first child, helping these vulnerable clients achieve healthier pregnancies and births, fostering stronger child development and providing a path toward economic self-sufficiency.

During the holidays, NFP gathers moms together for a celebration, and to discuss important topics like healthy eating and childhood development, with supplies to help with these areas. A room in Uniontown was recently filled with excitement and joy when dozens of families gathered for the holiday party. At the event, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Pennsylvania donated 400 baby books, with topics focused on healthy eating and early childhood development habits. UnitedHealthcare also donated 25 crockpots to support NFP’s “Let’s Get Cooking” interactive cooking class that teaches participants how to plan and prepare healthy meals.

Additionally, UnitedHealthcare provided Sesame Street’s “Food for Thought” kits to teach families how to eat healthy on a budget and Sesame Street’s “Growing Every Day Every Way” books that educate families about their child’s growth and development from birth to age 5. 

“Nurse Family Partnership is an important organization in our community, making a tremendous difference in Pennsylvania,” said Allison Davenport, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Pennsylvania. “We’re proud to be able to support NFP in their vision for a future where all children are healthy, families thrive, communities prosper and the cycle of poverty is broken.”