Short answer
New York and Connecticut both run free, voluntary home visiting programs for new and expecting parents. Depending on the program, a nurse, community health worker or family support worker visits you at home. Eligibility differs: some serve first-time parents, some serve certain neighborhoods or towns, and some ask you to enroll during pregnancy. A private postpartum doula is different. You hire her for hands-on, non-medical help on your schedule.
General information, not medical, legal or tax advice. Doulas give non-medical support, so please take medical questions to your doctor, midwife or pediatrician.
Help that comes to your door
In the first weeks with a baby, getting out of the house for an appointment can feel like a major expedition. Home visiting programs flip that around. Someone trained comes to you, answers questions, and connects you with resources you might not know exist.
The New York State Department of Health describes home visiting as voluntary and free to families. Home visitors may be specially trained nurses, community health workers or family support professionals, and they provide education, connections to resources and ongoing support during pregnancy and early childhood. Connecticut's Office of Early Childhood (OEC) says its programs reach pregnant women, expectant fathers, and parents and caregivers of children under 5.
The catch is that each program has its own rules about who qualifies and when to sign up. Here is what the official pages say for New York City, the rest of New York State and Connecticut.
New York City: New Family Home Visits
NYC's New Family Home Visits Initiative sends a trained health worker, such as a nurse, doula or community health worker, to make in-person or virtual visits to people who are pregnant or have an infant or young child. NYC311 lists topics that include breastfeeding or other infant feeding, safe sleep, car seats, bonding and child development, and help getting a crib, diapers or other essentials.
The initiative includes doula care programs, the Newborn Home Visiting Program and Nurse-Family Partnership. It focuses on families who live in Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE) neighborhoods, live in NYCHA public housing, or receive support from the Administration for Children's Services, and eligibility differs by program. To ask about any of them, call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675).
The Newborn Home Visiting Program is for first-time parents in a TRIE neighborhood, and also for families with a baby 0 to 3 months old who live in NYCHA housing in a TRIE neighborhood, receive ACS support, or live in a shelter. If you gave birth at a hospital where the program operates, staff will contact you; you can also call (718) 637-5235, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For the city's free doula program, see our guide to free and low-cost doula programs in New York City.
New York State, including Westchester and Putnam
Outside the city, the state Department of Health supports three home visiting programs, and the state Office of Mental Health summarizes who two of them are for:
- Healthy Families New York: home visits during pregnancy and early childhood. The Office of Mental Health lists it for families who are pregnant or have a child less than 3 months old, so ask early.
- Nurse-Family Partnership: pairs first-time pregnant people with specially trained nurses. The Office of Mental Health lists it for first-time mothers less than 28 weeks pregnant, and the Department of Health notes that eligibility can vary by location.
- Perinatal and Infant Community Health Collaboratives: community-based support during pregnancy and infancy, including home visits and connections to local resources.
- How to find one: use the NYS Child Care, After School, and Home Visiting Programs Locator or call the Growing Up Healthy Hotline at 1-800-522-5006, which the state describes as confidential.
- Westchester: the Westchester County Department of Health says community health workers, through Healthy Families New York and community health worker programs, make home visits to pregnant women who need help getting prenatal care.
Connecticut: Family Bridge and OEC home visiting
Family Bridge is a free Connecticut service for families with new babies. The OEC says families are offered up to 3 visits from a registered nurse, who can give new moms a wellness exam for physical and emotional health and teach about bathing, feeding, sleeping and safety. Community health workers can help with things like diapers, supplies and child care.
Family Bridge is available in only two areas. In Greater Bridgeport, you qualify if you gave birth at one of the two participating Bridgeport hospitals and live in Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford or Trumbull. The other area is Eastern Connecticut. Families in Greenwich, Stamford and other parts of lower Fairfield County are not on the town list the OEC posted as of November 2026.
Statewide, the OEC funds four kinds of home visiting: Parents as Teachers, Child First, Nurse-Family Partnership (for first-time, low-income parents, starting early in pregnancy) and Healthy Families America. Parents can call 211 Child Development at 1-800-505-7000 to find a program. If you live near the state line, our Greenwich doula page covers how support works on the Connecticut side.
| Program | Who it is for | How to start |
|---|---|---|
| NYC Newborn Home Visiting Program | First-time parents in a TRIE neighborhood; some families with a baby 0 to 3 months in NYCHA housing, with ACS support, or in a shelter | Hospital staff may contact you, or call (718) 637-5235 |
| Nurse-Family Partnership (NY and CT) | First-time parents; in NY, listed for first-time mothers less than 28 weeks pregnant; in CT, first-time, low-income parents | In NYC call 311; elsewhere in NY use the state locator; in CT call 211 Child Development |
| Healthy Families New York | Families who are pregnant or have a child less than 3 months old | NYS home visiting locator or the Growing Up Healthy Hotline, 1-800-522-5006 |
| Connecticut Family Bridge | Families who gave birth at a participating hospital and live in a listed town in Greater Bridgeport or Eastern Connecticut | Ask your postpartum nurse or pediatrician, or call the program at 203-502-4850 (Bridgeport area) |
| Other Connecticut OEC home visiting | Pregnant parents and families with children under 5, depending on the program | 211 Child Development, 1-800-505-7000 |
| Private postpartum doula | Any family that hires one | Talk with Northeast Doulas or any doula you are considering |
Home visitor or postpartum doula: what each one does
A home visitor from a public program follows that program's model. Depending on the program, that may mean a nurse visit with a wellness check, education on feeding and safe sleep, screening and referrals, and help connecting to community services. The program sets who qualifies and how many visits you get.
A private postpartum doula is hired by you. She gives non-medical, hands-on help: holding the baby while you shower, feeding logistics, light household tasks, and nights if you choose overnight care. She does not do wellness exams. With Northeast Doulas, your postpartum doula will create a customized plan for your family, and overnight support, from a role we call a Postpartum & Infant Care Doula, is our most popular type of post care. Some families use both.
If you do not qualify, or you need more
Many public programs are aimed at specific groups, so you may not qualify, or you may qualify for a few visits when you need more. That is not a failure on your part. Ask your OB, midwife or pediatrician what else is available, and check WIC if your income may qualify; our guide to breastfeeding help in NY and CT covers WIC peer counselors.
If you are a New York Medicaid member, the Office of Mental Health notes that Medicaid members can get doula services at no cost during pregnancy and up to 12 months after. Ask any doula whether she is enrolled with NY Medicaid or your plan. If you are already home and finding it harder than you expected, our guide to hiring a postpartum doula after your baby is born walks through the first call.
When to call your provider or 911
- Your baby is younger than 3 months (12 weeks) and has a temperature of 100.4°F (38.0°C) or higher: call your child's doctor right away (AAP).
- Your baby's skin turns more yellow, the whites of the eyes are yellow, or your baby is hard to wake, fussy, or not nursing or taking formula well: call your baby's doctor (AAP).
- You have heavy bleeding (soaking through one or more pads in an hour), a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, trouble breathing or chest pain: seek medical care immediately (CDC), and call 911 if it feels life-threatening.
- Thoughts about harming yourself or your baby: call or text 988, or call 911.
- Feeling overwhelmed, sad or anxious: call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-852-6262, free and confidential, 24/7, and tell your provider.
Quick check: a doula may not be what you need if
- You need a medical check on yourself or your baby. A doula does not do exams; a program nurse, your OB or your pediatrician does.
- You qualify for a free public program and need help with resources such as cribs, diapers or benefits. Start with that program.
- You need help today with a medical warning sign. Call your provider or 911.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free nurse home visit after birth in New York?
It depends on where you live and your situation. In NYC, the Newborn Home Visiting Program serves first-time parents in TRIE neighborhoods and some other families with young babies. Statewide, Nurse-Family Partnership and Healthy Families New York offer home visits to families who qualify. Use the NYS home visiting locator or call the Growing Up Healthy Hotline at 1-800-522-5006 to see what serves your county.
Does Connecticut have a universal newborn nurse visit?
Connecticut runs Family Bridge, a free service built on a universal nurse home visiting model, but the Office of Early Childhood says it is available in only two areas: Greater Bridgeport and Eastern Connecticut. You qualify by where you gave birth and the town you live in. Elsewhere in Connecticut, call 211 Child Development at 1-800-505-7000 to ask about other home visiting programs.
Do I have to be low-income to get home visiting?
Not always. Some programs are aimed at lower-income families; Connecticut describes Nurse-Family Partnership as serving first-time, low-income parents. Others use different rules, such as the NYC Newborn Home Visiting Program, which looks at first-time parenthood and neighborhood, or Family Bridge, which looks at the hospital and your town. Check each official page or call the program and ask.
Is a home visitor the same as a postpartum doula?
No. A home visitor works for a public program and follows its model, which may include a nurse wellness check, education, screening and referrals. A postpartum doula is someone you hire for non-medical, hands-on help such as baby care while you rest, feeding logistics, light household tasks or overnight support. They do different jobs, and many families use both.
When should I sign up for a home visiting program?
Earlier is usually easier. The New York State Office of Mental Health lists Nurse-Family Partnership for first-time mothers less than 28 weeks pregnant and Healthy Families New York for families who are pregnant or have a child less than 3 months old. Some programs, like NYC's newborn program and Family Bridge, may contact you after birth through the hospital. Ask during pregnancy.
Next: compare your options
Once the terms make sense, the next question is which option fits your family. The next guide puts them side by side.
Sources
- NYS Department of Health: Home Visiting Programs
- NIMH: Perinatal Depression
- New York State Office of Mental Health: Perinatal Mental Health
- NYC311: New Family Home Visits
- NYC311: Newborn Home Visit
- Connecticut Office of Early Childhood: Family Bridge
- Connecticut Office of Early Childhood: Home Visiting
- AAP (HealthyChildren.org): Fever, When to Call the Pediatrician
Facts checked against the sources above on November 8, 2026. Rules and programs change, so confirm current details with the agency, your plan or your provider. Links to outside sites open in a new tab.
