03/10/2026
PRESS RELEASE:
On March 5, 2026, the Chaffee County Home Visit Collaborative reached an important milestone: its 1,000th referral.
What began in 2016 as a strategic effort to strengthen local home visiting services has grown into a streamlined, community-wide referral system that connects families to support during pregnancy and early childhood.
At that time, Nurse-Family Partnership was working to increase local enrollment. Numbers were low, and staffing reductions were possible if participation did not improve. The nurse serving Chaffee County proposed a collaborative approach and reached out to the home visiting program at Chaffee County Public Health. Together, and with the addition of Early Head Start, they formed the Chaffee County Home Visit Collaborative. The goal was to reduce barriers and simplify access to services for families and referring partners.
Through conversations with medical providers and other local agencies, one theme consistently emerged. Community partners and medical providers were aware of the home visiting programs, but eligibility differences and program distinctions created confusion. Providers often felt uncertain about which families qualified for which services, leaving families to navigate multiple systems on their own.
To view the full press release visit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18TYzHP5KoU7QNA40pcXusGRYc0eriuQs/view?usp=sharing
