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Kalamazoo woman benefits from Nurse Family Partnership

WMUK

A Kalamazoo woman credits the area's Nurse-Family Partnership with helping her adjust to being a young, single mother. Bridge Magazine, the online news service of the Center for Michigan looks at how the program helped 20 year old Shauntiana Bronson. 

From the Bridge story:

Shauntiana Branson found herself unexpectedly pregnant — and unprepared for motherhood two years ago. Having just reached adulthood and fearing backlash from her family, Branson did what she could to find her own help.

Bronson has received regular home visits from a registered nurse. Bronson who is now 20 years old says she feels more secure about parenting her eight month old daughter. 

“If you are broke down right now and don’t know what to do with your baby, (NFP) will get you and your baby together and help you with your needs,” Branson said. Branson, of Kalamazoo, is one of many Michigan women participating in one of more than 330 voluntary home visiting programs in the state designed to help at-risk women do everything from achieving healthy pregnancy outcomes to ensuring their babies meet developmental milestones.

Previous stories from Mlive Kalamazoo report on Governor Snyder's support for Nurse-Family Partnership programs and a 2009 story ofanother young mother from Kalamazoo

Gordon Evans became WMUK's Content Director in 2019 after more than 20 years as an anchor, host and reporter. A 1990 graduate of Michigan State, he began work at WMUK in 1996.