The Family Infant Relationship Support Training (FIRST) Program

The Family Infant Relationship Support Training (FIRST ) is a continuing education program for community-based professionals and parents. It is designed to help participants better support the development of infants who have been hospitalized in an intensive care unit and their families as they transition to community services. Adapted from the Newborn Individualized Development Care and Assessment Process (NIDCAP®), which is provided to professionals in hospitals, FIRST workshops are designed for public health nurses, early interventionists, community service providers, private therapists, NICU graduate parents in support or leadership roles, child care workers, and others who serve infants and their families in the community. The program is designed to enhance the abilities of participants to care for infants born prematurely; infants born with special needs; infants born at term but who are not behaviorally well organized; and infants born to high risk families.

Major Goals 

1. Provide excellent continuing education to community professionals and parents in developmentally supportive care for families and infants transitioning from hospital to home; 
2. Enhance communication and application of developmentally supportive interventions among professionals and parents whose infants have been hospitalized; 
3. Support collaborative efforts between hospital newborn intensive care unit and community based professionals.

Funding Sources: 

This program is supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Grant No. MCJ-089407, the Colorado Department of Health and Human Services, Health Care Programs for Children with Special Needs, and The Children's Hospital.

JFK Partners

University of Colorado Denver

13121 E. 17^th Ave, C234

Aurora, CO 80045

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