New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer Announces Launch of New Outcomes-Based Initiative to Support First-Time Mothers

New Castle, DE—New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer today announced the launch of an initiative designed to help first-time mothers access quality prenatal and postnatal health care. The local nonprofit Children & Families First (CFF) will provide services using the evidence-based Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP) model, which pairs mothers with specialized registered nurses who offer home-based care to support healthy pregnancies and improve childhood health.

The initiative will strive to serve 120 Medicaid-eligible, first-time mothers living in New Castle County over four years, beginning in Fall 2022.

“Outcomes based contracting, also sometimes known as Pay for Success, brings nonprofit, philanthropy and government together to allocate funds to achieve long-term results to better our community” New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer said. “With this arrangement, the nonprofit is incentivized to hit its milestones, the philanthropist’s initial investment is paid back in better societal outcomes for these mothers and children in the future and the government only uses taxpayer dollars when outcomes are met that result in a healthier community. We are excited to implement this type of contracting using ARPA funds as a useful and efficient way to get help to our most vulnerable mothers and children.”

The initiative hinges on an innovative, outcomes-based contracting structure, designed with the help of the impact finance nonprofit Social Finance, that will help NCC achieve measurable results for New Castle County families.

The Longwood Foundation, a philanthropic group based in Wilmington, Delaware, has granted $1.8 million to CFF to expand services in Fall 2022 and deliver on a set of specific outcome metrics geared toward mother and child wellness. Longwood will grant an additional $1.2 million in early 2024 should CFF meet or surpass these metrics.

NCC has committed to supporting the expansion of CFF by reimbursing Longwood Foundation up to $3 million, allocated from American Rescue Plan Act funds, based on outcomes achieved through the close of the initiative in 2026. Longwood Foundation will reinvest a portion of these reimbursements in CFF, ultimately enabling the nonprofit to serve more New Castle County families, even beyond the lifespan of this initial project.

“We’ve been working with governments for more than a decade to link spending to measurable outcomes for people, in order to get the most from taxpayer money,” Social Finance Vice President and Head of Impact Advisory Jake Segal said. “So we’re incredibly excited to collaborate with New Castle County, the Longwood Foundation, Children & Families First, and Nurse-Family Partnership to expand access to critical care that can put mothers and their children on the path to healthiness and happiness.”

An estimated 780 Medicaid-eligible, first-time mothers give birth in New Castle County each year. For these parents, it can be challenging to find employment with family-sustaining wages or health benefits. And due to socioeconomic barriers, their children are at higher risk for poor birth outcomes, are less prepared for kindergarten, and are more likely to develop long-term behavioral issues and chronic medical conditions.

Kirsten Olson, Children & Families First CEO explains: “We know that nearly 20% of all pregnant women in New Castle County do not access pre-natal care, which can have serious consequences for both mother and baby. Further, there are significant barriers to care for low-income, Medicaid-eligible women, such as inadequate transportation, unstable housing, and other social determinants of health. That is why we believe so strongly in the Nurse-Family Partnership model, which is designed to reduce or eliminate some of these barriers by providing community-based care guided by the unique needs of each family. Families who participate in NFP have improved outcomes, such as healthy birthweight, increased use of breastfeeding, and higher child immunization rates.”

Enrollment for the program begins fall 2022. Eligible first-time pregnant mothers in New Castle County who are interested in participating can learn more at https://www.cffde.org/nfp.

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About Children and Families First

Using brain science research as their foundation, Children & Families First (CFF) engages more than 20,000 children, youth, and families in Delaware each year in programs, services, and supports proven to prevent, intervene, and heal the immediate and lasting impacts of toxic stress and trauma. Every child deserves the opportunity to achieve their full potential and CFF believes investing in children and families is the single most powerful lever to create a healthier society and stronger economy for us all, now and in the future. Since 2010, CFF has delivered the NFP Model to nearly 1,400 families in Delaware’s New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties.

About Longwood Foundation

Since 1937, the Longwood Foundation has invested in Delaware and the Kennett Square area. Our mission is to improve the quality of life in our region by catalyzing and strengthening nonprofits to better serve their communities. Awarded grants aim to address challenges by accelerating success in nonprofits across a variety of sectors. These include, but are not limited to, the arts, civic, economic and workforce development, education, environmental, healthcare, housing, and social service areas.

About Nurse-Family Partnership

The national nonprofit Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP) developed a program model in which specially educated nurses regularly visit first-time moms-to-be throughout pregnancy until the child’s second birthday. Over more than four decades, research has shown that NFP helps to ensure that moms and their babies are healthy, safe and able to thrive. Through its National Service Office for Nurse-Family Partnership® and Child First, NFP provides network partners across the country the information, support and specialized education they need to properly implement the NFP model.

About Social Finance

Social Finance is a national impact finance and advisory nonprofit. We work with the public, private, and social sectors to create partnerships and investments that measurably improve lives. Since our founding in 2011, we have mobilized $350 million in new investments designed to help people and communities realize improved outcomes in education, economic mobility, health, and housing.