Mississippi Code Title 41. Public Health § 41-117-1

(1) The Legislature makes the following findings:

(a) The United Health Foundation (UHF) ranks Mississippi fiftieth in overall health, fiftieth in infant mortality with an infant mortality rate of eleven (11) deaths per one thousand (1,000) live births, thirtieth in immunization coverage with only seventy-six and five-tenths percent (76- 5/10 %) of children ages nineteen (19) through thirty-five (35) months immunized, and fiftieth in overall child well-being, continuing a series of five (5) consecutive years for the state being last in the nation.

(b) Programs that focus on improved pregnancy outcomes, child health and development and the economic self-sufficiency of the family have been shown to be beneficial to both children and mothers.

(c) Research has shown that the Nurse-Family Partnership program improves pregnancy outcomes by helping women engage in good preventive health practices, including thorough prenatal care from their health care providers, improving their diets, and reducing their use of cigarettes, alcohol and illegal substances.

(d) The Nurse-Family Partnership program also has been shown to improve child health and development by helping parents provide responsible and competent care, and improve the economic self-sufficiency of the family by helping parents develop a vision for their own future, plan future pregnancies, continue their education and find work.

(2) The Legislature declares that establishing a Nurse-Family Partnership Pilot program in Mississippi would be very beneficial to improving pregnancy outcomes, child health and development and the economic self-sufficiency of the family in this state.