Skip to Content

Healthy Families, Healthy Babies

How do I access the program?

Before the baby’s birth, a person can:

  • Be referred by a health care professional
  • Be referred by someone close to you
  • Have direct access, without being referred by someone

To find out more, you can also call Public Health directly.

After the baby is born:

  • Eligibility is usually determined during the liaison visit, unless the referral is made by a third party or by the parents themselves when the child is under 7 months old.

Personalized support for a healthy pregnancy and a good start to family life

 

Welcoming your first baby is a moment filled with joy, but also with new responsibilities. Parenting doesn’t come with an instruction manual—some things come naturally while others can be learned with a bit of guidance and support.

What is the HFBS Program?

The program is a free, voluntary and confidential service offered by New Brunswick Public Health. It offers eligible families personalized in-home support. Before the baby is born, this support aims to promote a healthy pregnancy for first-time mothers who may have risk factors linked to developmental delays in their child.

After the baby is born, the program supports parents and promotes the healthy development of infants and young children. It offers support in a variety of areas, including feeding, safe sleep, newborn care, parenting skills and psychological well-being. The program can also refer families to other services depending on their needs.

Parents can get answers to their questions through a welcome service, both before and after the baby is born.

 

Who is the HFHB program for?

The program is for people who:

  • Are pregnant for the first time
  • Just welcomed their first child
  • Are New Brunswick residents

Some components of the program have specific eligibility criteria; see details below.

 

What services are available and who can benefit from them?

All families, regardless of program eligibility, receive:

  • A liaison visit by a public health nurse during childbirth
  • An assessment of the child's development (Healthy Toddler Assessment)

People who meet the eligibility criteria can also benefit from the following:

  • Home visits, before and after the baby is born
  • Breastfeeding support and nutritional advice
  • Coupons for milk and vitamins
  • Reliable information to accompany them through the first months and years of their child's life

 

Who can benefit from HFHB home visits?

Prenatal screening

During pregnancy, the Larson screening tool can be used to determine whether a family would benefit from home visits. This short, confidential questionnaire covers a number of health-related factors during pregnancy, including:

  • Level of education
  • Tobacco use
  • Participation in prenatal education activities

The responses enable the Public Health team to assess whether additional support could be offered during pregnancy and after the baby is born.

 

Eligibility after the baby is born

After birth, eligibility for the HFHB program is determined by the Public Health Priority Assessment (PHPA), a screening tool used for all newborns.

This tool helps:

  • Ensure consistent screening for all newborns
  • Identify which babies may be at risk for developmental delay

For families having their first child, home visits after the baby’s birth may be offered when:

  • The assessment indicates that additional support could be beneficial to the family;
  • When the mother participated in the HFHB program before the baby’s birth, regardless of the assessment’s findings.

Useful resources

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Pregnancy
Guide and recipes for introducing solid food