Child and Family Nurse Program (CFNP) – François-Xavier Bagnoud Center

CFNP is a nursing program that supports the child welfare goals of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF)/Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P).

Mission Statement

The mission of the Child and Family Nurse Program (CFNP) is to strengthen the health and well-being of children in the care of their biological families in New Jersey. The program supports the goals of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the division of Child Permanency and Protection (CP&P) by orienting, educating, and supporting nurses to provide compassionate, trauma-informed nursing care. Through a partnership with caseworkers, families, and the healthcare community, CFNs advocate to support children, youth, and families to receive services that promote well-being and stabilization.

Child and Family Nurse Program

Responds to internal referrals by CP&P.
Provides CP&P access to nurses for guidance and teaming on high-risk in-home cases, in which there are health concerns.
Provides care coordination in linkage to community-based programs.
Provides parent education and anticipatory guidance helping parents to successfully meet the child’s health care needs.

Provides plan of safe care conferencing (POSC).
Provides emergency preparedness guidance.
Provides services in a culturally sensitive manner.
Encourages parental self-care.

Model of Care Coordination

Communication
Assessed needs and developed goals.
Support the child’s health plan established by the primary medical home.
Facilitate transitions.
Support family goals.
Link to community resources.
Monitor, follow up, and respond to change.
Strength-based parental engagement.
Address social determinants that impact on well-being.

The CFNs will close/terminate care coordination if:

CP&P closes the case.
The child enters out-of-home placement.
The case worker and family are able to manage psychosocial and health care needs without nurse intervention.
The family is connected with community resources that meet their needs.

: Since its inception, the Child Health Program’s (CHP) partnering with CP&P has achieved notable outcomes for children in resource care. Recognizing the strength of the CHP, DCF initially expanded funding to the program through a Social Service Block Grant (SSBG) to address the needs of biological families in 10 counties most impacted by Super Storm Sandy.

CHP understands the unique needs of families involved in the child welfare system, the complexity of the healtheare system, and was well positioned to implement a Child and Family Nursing Team. The aim of this initiative was to develop a team of CFNs to support families in the counties affected by Super Storm Sandy, assess their health care needs, identify resources, coordinate care, and empower caregivers within the family. Collaboration with families, as well as with caseworkers and community providers, is essential to supporting and strengthening families that come to the attention of child welfare. Response to these initial services was well received and expanded to include additional counties.

The Rutgers School of Nursing/François-Xavier Bagnoud Center has the responsibility of implementing and maintaining the Child and Family Nurse Program (CFNP) team to support Child Permanency and Protection (CP&P) access to Child and Family Nurses (CFNs) for care coordination and teaming on high-risk in-home cases.

The CFNP staffing framework includes one Staff Assistant and one Regional Nurse Administrator who supervises 15 CFNs in seven New Jersey counties:

Camden
Cumberland
Mercer
Monmouth
Ocean
Passaic
Warren

Children and families referred to the CFNs have complex health and psychosocial care needs. They have been referred to CP&P and may be receiving special services from them. Frequently, support from medical homes, specialties, insurance companies, social services and community services are limited and interrupted. The CFNs assists both CP&P and families with accessing, navigating, and communicating with these services and systems.

Nina Colabelli, DNP, RN, APN, CPNP-PC
Director, Child and Family Health Program
973-972-9229
colabenb@sn.rutgers.edu