What does it mean to be "pro-family"?
Host Steve Hilton of "The Next Revolution" noted on Sunday evening that one of the most pivotal times to support and assist families in America is "when children are born."
Family-focused programs can be most impactful and even "life-saving" when they're available to high-risk communities, he said.
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Hilton welcomed Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., as well as Jenny Harper, director of federal government affairs at the Nurse-Family Partnership, which is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, to discuss the benefits of at-home nursing programs for new parents.
The Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Visiting (MIECHV) Program was recently expanded by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, which Smith led.
"This is about getting families, children and newborns off to a good start with a strong foundation and taxpayer dollars actually making a difference and the accountability associated with it," Smith shared.
"This is the most pro-life thing we can do."
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Nurse-Family Partnership is a world-renowned program that supports families across America reaching "40 states and District of Columbia, and [serving] approximately 56,000 families throughout the year," said Harper.
The funding that goes toward the MIECHV program is mainly focused on those who are considered "at-risk."
"State and federal funding is really going to focus on those families that really need it the most," Harper noted.
While every family would benefit potentially from these types of programs, the program noted, steps still need to be taken to make the program universally available with taxpayer dollars.
"When we look at some of the limited resources that are currently available toward these programs," said Harper, "we really need to target those to the families that most need it and make sure [that] we're getting that strongest return on investment with the federal dollars that are being invested."
The Nurse-Family Partnership is an example of a local entity, noted Smith, that is well-respected in the community.
Organizations such as this are able to meet with families outside the "at-risk" community on an as-needed basis "oftentimes without the federal taxpayer dollars involved," said Smith.
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The MIECHV program is handled in conjunction with local entity programs throughout the country, the guests noted.
"The return on investment, since this was piloted during the George W. Bush administration … has been very strong," Smith added.
"Making a difference is what this is about."
