Working in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Waypoint piloted Newborn Navigation last year. The program connects with families soon after a child is born, offering short-term guidance and resources and a link to ongoing support. Local hospitals refer families or share information about the resource, and Waypoint can meet with each family up to three times.

This year, we are continuing the Newborn Navigation program with a renewed dedication to supporting new parents of all ages. Offered in Hillsborough and Merrimack counties and building on what the team learned from the pilot, Waypoint has made meaningful additions and changes to better serve the new parent population.

One important change is that the program is now open to a broader range of parents, recognizing that support after a new baby arrives can be valuable at any age. “What we learned was that we needed to open the program to a broader audience, not just young families,” says Jodie Olsen, a Waypoint Family Support staff member.

Newborn Navigation is also broadening where referrals can come from, giving more families a chance to learn about the program before or shortly after their baby arrives.

Waypoint’s Barbara Walden says, “We’re hoping to branch out into doctors’ offices and build relationships with family doctors and social workers outside of the hospital.”

The program is expanding not only where referrals can come from, but also when the team connects with parents, helping families feel supported beyond the first days after birth. Walden explains, “People can tend to disappear after the initial excitement of a baby. We space our visits out a little bit, so they know we’re coming back and going to follow up in another month.”

Newborn Navigation is designed to give new parents access to resources and longer-term support, not just help in the immediate days after a baby arrives. As Jodie explains, the program offers “not just the ‘right here and right now’ support, but ongoing support for those who need it.” With the program, new parents know there is someone they can turn to, and this program builds a bridge to Waypoint’s Family Resource Centers if they need help in the future.

Olsen points to its emphasis on early prevention and intervention as being unique to this program, “Some supports that new parents need are time sensitive. Because the program reaches families early on, we can connect them to help when they need it most.”

Olsen and Walden describe a special moment they are often fortunate enough to witness. “You can see the information click when a new family begins to feel confident caring for their baby and themselves,” Olsen says. “You see a sense of ease when they visibly trust themselves.”

Here at Waypoint, we’re thrilled about what Newborn Navigation can offer families across New Hampshire, and grateful for the community of supporters who help make this kind of early, compassionate connection possible.