
Providing New Parents with Support, Information, Resources and Connections to Community Services
For all families, being a parent to a newborn child is understandably overwhelming – there is a lot of change to adjust to, and parents are often uncertain where to turn.Regardless of income, risk factors or background, it is not unusual for parents to feel overloaded, fatigued and alone, while driven by a desire to provide the absolute best life to their children. Meeting and connecting with families during this time is critical for addressing parent worries.
Family Connects Illinois (FC IL) provides an entry way for all families in a community to receive customized services and support after welcoming a nurse for a home visit after a child is born.
Our mission is to ensure the well-being of every baby, new mother and family in Illinois by bridging the gap between a family’s unique needs and wishes and community resources and local systems of care. This universal approach ensures that all families are less dependent on seeking out these types of services on their own and strengthens the collaboration, coordination and availability of a community’s support services available for families
What New Parents Can Expect

– New ParentAs a first time parent, the home visit gave me reassurance that I was doing all the right things for my newborn son. The nurse checked his weight and answered all of my questions and concerns... As a nurse myself, the Family Connects Illinois nurse taught me so many things I never knew in regards to caring for my newborn.
Welcoming a new baby into the home can affect a family in many ways. See below for a few examples of what a Family Connects nurse can help with:
- Baby weight check
- Mom health check
- Breast- or bottle-feeding help
- Postpartum depression screening
- Understanding of childcare options
- Understanding new family dynamics
- Back-to-work support
- Help with bathing, diapering, and swaddling
- Healthy home connections
- Safe sleep information
- Management of infant crying
- Financial resources
- Playgroups and parent support groups
- Early literacy information
- Family planning advice
- Scheduling appointments
