Real Help For First-Time Moms: The Texas Nurse-Family Partnership

By GetParentingTips.com staff
Watch Time 1:04 minutes

Several weeks after leaving an abusive relationship, Rhonda got big news that would forever change her life. “My journey started when I got back to Waco in 2022,” she says. “I found out I was pregnant. It was terrifying. I was told my pregnancy was going to be pretty difficult. I was transferred to Baylor, Scott & White, where they signed me up for the Texas Nurse-Family Partnership program.”

Texas Nurse-Family Partnership is a free, voluntary program that matches nurses with first-time moms. The nurses help with prenatal care and provide one-on-one child development education and counseling. Moms begin the program by their 28th week of pregnancy and continue to receive support until their child is 2 years old.

Meeting Moms Where They Are

Rhonda was matched with Ronnica, BSN, RN. “What we do as nurse home visitors is we try to provide support and guidance to first-time moms through home visits from a registered nurse,” Ronnica says. “That’s anything from pre-natal information to parenting information and education. We also connect moms with resources in the community. If that's car seats, providing basic care needs, things of that nature. If a mom wants to go back to school and has no idea how to get back into school, we help them get into school. We have the freedom to meet our moms where they are.”

Bye-Bye Fears

At first, Rhonda wasn’t sure what to expect from the program, but she immediately felt a connection with Ronnica. “When I found out about Nurse-Family Partnership, I did have some hesitation and fears,” Rhonda says. “It was terrifying. Cause I didn’t know where to start or what to do – how to be a mother. I didn't know if they were really going to take my feelings into consideration, but I did want to give my baby the best chance. And when she came out, we did our paperwork. At that moment, I knew I was like, she's so loving and just bubbly, always happy and smiling, I like this person. This is cool. I can see this. I wasn't scared anymore.”

Laying a Strong Foundation

Rhonda’s pregnancy was challenging, but she worked with Ronnica to get ready for baby Kai’s arrival. “She started coming out to the house every two weeks, checking on things, doing things to help me get prepared,” Rhonda says.

“She explained, you know, we're going to hit milestones once we get here, we're going to go to each milestone. We're going to help you do this. We know he's going to be a couple months behind, so we'll show you how that works. You know, just whatever you want to work on, you can talk to me about it. I can get some activities together. We can do it. She's like, but I have a few things that we have to do as well. And, just whatever you need, I'm your personal nurse.”

Growing Baby, Growing Mom

When baby Kai came at 29 weeks, he weighed only 2 pounds, 7 ounces. Kai stayed in the NICU for 72 days. “Rhonda went to the NICU every single day. I don’t think there’s any words in the dictionary to describe how strong she is,” Ronnica says. “To see her go from not being a mom, being unsure about the whole pregnancy, and to see her now, it really, you know, it really makes me proud to see that she has grown so much. She's advocating for herself, her son. You know, she has her own apartment now. Her own car. She didn't have a driver's license, but she does now. It's amazing. It's truly amazing.”

Help Through the Hard Times

Rhonda credits Ronnica for helping her get through it all. “She had really become my support, my best friend,” Rhonda says. “If I needed someone to talk to or lean on, I knew I could talk to her. She's helped me grow. She's helped me open up, become a better mother and woman in life with some of the things that we sit down and do, some of the activities we talk about, even the conversations we have. The advice she gives comes from the heart. We really have heartfelt conversations, and it honestly means the world to me because I can't do that with anybody. I feel like she sees me. I'm not invisible anymore.”

Home at Last

Rhonda finally got to take Kai home from the hospital on his original due date. “He was 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and he was still this like itty bitty little thing,” she says. “That was the happiest day of my life!”

Today, Kai is a happy and healthy 15-month-old. “Besides being the love of my life, he is a very energetic baby,” Rhonda says. “And you wouldn't be able to tell that he was as small as he was. Now you look at him and you see this bright, beautiful, big-eyed boy who is just smiling, and his dimples are just the cutest thing ever. He loves his beef jerky. Oh my goodness. He loves food, period. But he loves his mom. And most of all, he's a big mama's boy. He definitely is. And honestly, I love that about him because he's actually teaching me how to love again the correct way. And that's the most beautiful thing about it.”

Support for Today and Tomorrow

Ronnica is happy to have been part of the family’s journey. “There is a bond that is almost unbreakable that we build over the three years that we’re with a mom,” she says. “Just seeing him go from being 2 pounds to that toddler who's into everything — I'm just happy I'm here for it. As a nurse home visitor, I get to actually see the fruits of my labor or, you know, see those seeds grow. And I think that's the thing that I love the most.”

Strong Texas Moms

Rhonda hopes that other moms will take part in the Texas Nurse-Family Partnership program. “I would recommend this program to any mother,” she say. “I went from being homeless to now having my own place. I have a car. I’m going back to school in August. I have my foundation built. It’s possible for anybody.”

She’s also excited about the impact the program has already had on Kai’s life. “When I think about my son's future, I feel like it's unlimited,” Rhonda says. “It's whatever he wants to do. And that's the motivation that they gave me and they give him. And he has come so far in this program. I know whatever my son does, he's going to be great in it. When he actually gets out here in this world, he won't be scared of it. He'll be able to face it head on and like, hey, I'm ready for whatever you throw at me. My mom has taught me.”

Find Programs Near You

The Texas Nurse-Family Partnership is available in counties throughout Texas, including Atascosa, Bell, Bexar, Burleson, Bosque, Brazoria, Brazos, Chambers, Collin, Comal, Coryell, Crosby, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, El Paso, Falls, Floyd, Fort Bend, Galveston, Garza, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hale, Hardin, Harris, Hidalgo, Hill, Hockley, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Kaufman, Kendall, Kerr, Lamb, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Lubbock, Lynn, Madison, McLennan, Montgomery, Orange, Robertson, Rockwall, Tarrant, Terry, Travis, Washington, Webb, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, and Zapata.

To qualify for this child and family service, families must live in the specified service delivery area county or combined service area. If you live in other areas, look for other supportive programs in your counties. Find programs in your area.