Family Connects NJ Universal Nurse Home Visit
NJ Department of Children and Families
Can a nurse come to my home after my newborn arrives?
What this is
Family Connects NJ sends a registered nurse to your home after your newborn arrives. It is free and voluntary, with no income requirement and no insurance requirement, in the counties where it is active.
Why it matters after birth
The first two weeks are when problems are easiest to miss and hardest to travel for. This brings a clinician to you instead of asking you to get a newborn to an office.
You may qualify if
Free and voluntary in active counties, with no income or insurance requirement. It serves families after birth, adoption, foster and kinship placement, and families after a stillbirth or neonatal loss. As of September 16, 2026 it is active in 17 counties: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, and Sussex. Union, Hunterdon, Morris, and Warren are scheduled for January 2027.
What you actually get
A nurse checks on your health and your baby's, watches for complications, works through feeding, sleep, and newborn care, and connects you to resources you ask about.
How long it lasts
Up to 3 visits. Most families have one visit of roughly 90 minutes, designed around the first two weeks or so after your baby arrives.
What it costs
Free. There is no income requirement and no insurance requirement.
How to use it
In an active county, arrange your visit through Family Connects NJ. If your county is not yet active, Connecting NJ is the route to what is available where you live.
What you'll need
None is published as a requirement. You will be asked for your address so the local team knows whether they serve your county.
Important limitations
This is available by county, not statewide: if your county is not on the active list, the program is not yet an option for you. It is a short newborn-period program of up to 3 visits, not ongoing care.
How it works with other benefits
It works alongside your NJ FamilyCare coverage, your baby's pediatric care, and longer-term home-visiting programs. It does not replace your own postpartum medical care.
Finding a provider or service
Use Family Connects NJ, including its rollout page, to check whether your county is active. If it is not, use Connecting NJ instead.
Language & cultural access
Ask the local Family Connects NJ team what language support they can provide; delivery is local and varies.
If you do not qualify
If your county is not yet active, Connecting NJ can route you to the home-visiting and family support programs that do serve your area.
Access in practice
Being covered and being able to use it are different things. This is what the sources say about actually reaching this support.
- Where it is available
- Active in 17 counties as of September 16, 2026: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex. Union, Hunterdon, Morris, and Warren are scheduled for January 2027.
- Provider availability
- Delivered by local nursing teams; availability follows the county rollout schedule.
In plain terms
What this means for you
In 17 counties a nurse will come to your home for free in the first couple of weeks, whatever your income or insurance, and that includes families who have lost a baby. If your county is not on the list yet, Connecting NJ is where to start instead.
Your next step
What to do next
Check the Family Connects NJ rollout page for your county. If it is active, arrange your visit; if it is not, contact Connecting NJ for what is available where you live.
Official sources
Last verified September 16, 2026 · Ready
5 official sources
Authority: Family Connects NJ universal newborn home visiting initiative
Recheck when: County rollout is still expanding: Union, Hunterdon, Morris, and Warren are scheduled for January 2027, so the active-county list changes.
This is plain-language public-policy information, not legal, medical, or benefits advice, and it is not specific to your situation. Policy changes, so confirm current rules with the agency or your health plan.