About the Taskforce
What is family-centered care?
Family-Centered Care (FCC) ensures that caregivers are active, engaged team members throughout their NICU journey and is a key factor in improving infant health and family mental health outcomes. Despite this, very few NICUs across the US have implemented FCC strategies such as Family Advisory/Partnership Councils or multidisciplinary FCC committees.
Many professional organizations and NICU parent non-profit organizations have created policies and guidelines for family empowerment in the NICU. Despite the fact that the progress of these organizations and programs/conferences to disseminate FCC practices and models, the uptake by NICUs has not been widespread or rapid. Although FCC is beneficial for infants and families, implementation can be challenging because it involves a shift in the healthcare provider's role from primary caregiver to mentor. Disparities in neonatal health outcomes across racial and ethnic lines persist and may be exacerbated by a lack of family involvement or inclusion in the NICU. NICU Families are empowered and supported as they care for their infant(s) by nurses, physicians, and other providers, highlighting the importance of training healthcare providers to adopt family-centered approaches.
How is the FCC Taskforce promoting
family-centered care in NICUs?
The Family-Centered Care Taskforce began in May 2022 and is a community of 700+ individuals, representing more than 230 NICUs from 36 states and 16 countries. They are committed to learning more about FCC and acting as change agents in their NICUs.
The Family-Centered Care Taskforce offers free educational webinars on topics such as strategies for implementing family integration in NICUs, providing mental health support to caregivers, supporting non-birthing partners, building a Family Advisory Council, and empowering families as caregivers among others. Additionally, 35 NICUs are part of quality improvement small groups that meet regularly to share challenges and lessons learned as they actively work towards beginning or strengthening both their Family Advisory/Partnership Councils and multidisciplinary FCC committees. These combined efforts will enable us to create robust FCC metrics based on feedback from NICU family members themselves and allow for benchmarking on these measures between centers.
How can I get involved?
If you are a NICU healthcare professional, wherever you are in your family-centered care journey, we would love to have you. Join our email mailing list to receive free resources, support, and information on upcoming webinars.