Become
A First Born® Program

First Born® creates positive and meaningful family and community change.
In 2010, the RAND Corporation conducted a multi-year, randomized control trial research project evaluating the effectiveness of the First Born® Program. The results of that evaluation, published in Pediatrics in 2016, showed significant health improvements for all participating families, regardless of background, socioeconomic status or education.

Community Benefits

First Born® Impact: Enhances family resilience and reduces health risks for infants and parents.

Watch the Video

Discover a Success Story from the LANL Foundation’s First Born Program

FIND YOUR OFFICE

First step is to find your county on our list and contact your local First Born<span class=”smaller-registered-mark”>®</span>.

“I see how my family and home visitor have adapted to the new ways of doing our home visits and I commend all the workers with First Born too. You guys are unstoppable.”

– McKinley County, New Mexico

Key Benefits of the First Born Model:

  • Adaptable Training & Support: Offers flexible model training and program support, both virtually and in-person, tailored to meet staff needs and facilitate ease of access.

  • Bilingual Curriculum: Provides curriculum in both Spanish and English, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for diverse communities.

  • Trusted Parental Guidance: Delivers reliable information and resources that new parents can trust, fostering confidence and competence in caregiving.

  • Expertly Reviewed Curriculum: Ensures the curriculum is regularly assessed and approved by a medical director, maintaining high standards of accuracy and relevance.

  • Community Integration: Promotes collaboration and connection with community resources, enhancing the support network available to families.

  • Comprehensive Screenings: Conducts initial screenings for maternal depression, partner violence, and infant and toddler development, supporting early identification and intervention for critical issues.

How to Become a First Born® Program:

step-1

Learn About Program

Download the PDFs to learn more about program values, essential elements and more.

step-2

Contact the Model Office

Contact the model office for an initial conversation and supplemental information. Bring your questions and insights. We look forward to talking with you!

step-3

Determine What’s Possible

Initiate a pre implementation phase, 1-12 months is ideal, to assess needs and build community support.

step-4

Complete Model Trainings

Training components include online learning, videos, reading, shadowing, practicing skills, and in-person and remote learning with model office staff.

step-5

Implement The Program

Stay in close relationship with the model office to ensure support, yearly training and ongoing support for managers and leaders.

step-6

Finalize with On-Site Verification

Solidify your program’s launch by scheduling an in-depth site visit within 90 days. This critical step ensures the First Born Program’s standards are met with precision, embedding quality and fidelity into the heart of your implementation.

Our Commitment to You:

Professional and Personalized Support:

Services are delivered by trained professionals, diverse in age, culture, ethnicity, language, education, and experience. People who provide First Born services live in the community where they work and include degreed professionals (e.g., registered nurses, clinical counselors) and non-degreed professionals who provide support, education, assessment, referral and advocacy for participating families.

Individualized Services:

While there are many home visiting components that may be offered, support is most effective when matched to the individual family’s needs through a collaborative goal-setting process. First Born services occur within the context of a trusting relationship where, through coaching and regular visits, learning and growth can occur. Families are linked to the community’s systems of care and all services are coordinated.  Strict confidentiality is maintained throughout the family’s participation.

Strong Relationships:

Building strong relationships is a core value of the model — strong relationships between the family and their child, strong relationships between the family and their home visitor, and strong relationships between the family and their community.  A healthy pregnancy and childhood are not only critical to the immediate well being of the child but are also basic to building resilient families and healthy communities.