New Jersey is expanding its free, universal home visitation program for new mothers to an additional six counties come January, the latest step to improve birth safety in a state with high maternal mortality rates.
The state Department of Children and Families is scheduled to announce Tuesday that it has contracted with two community nursing agencies to coordinate visits with new moms in Somerset, Sussex, Passaic, Hudson, Bergen and Ocean counties starting next year. The program — Family Connects NJ — launched in January 2024 in Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex and Essex counties.