The Welcome Family Statewide Expansion Advisory Committee advises the Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition within the Department of Public Health (DPH) on the expansion of Welcome Family to ensure the program is available to all families in Massachusetts.
About the Welcome Family Advisory Committee
Welcome Family is a program that offers a one-time nurse home visit to all caregivers with newborns. A Welcome Family nurse assesses the health and well-being of the caregiver and newborn, conducts a brief clinical assessment, and provides education, support, and referrals to services as needed.
The Advisory Committee provides guidance to DPH on how to ensure Welcome Family services are high-quality, culturally responsive, easy for families to use, and accessible to everyone. The Advisory Committee also provides input on DPH’s approach to community outreach and awareness, workforce development, data-driven quality monitoring, and promoting equitable access to Welcome Family services.
Meeting information
Committee members
Advisory Committee members
| Member | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Samantha Betti, MS, RN, CPNP, CLC | South Shore Visiting Nurse Association |
| Rachel Blessington, CNM | Worcester Community Midwifery |
| Enella Brice-James | MIECHV Parent Leader |
| Sue Caffrey, MS, RN, FNP | Beverly Hospital |
| Suzanne Curry, BA | Health Care For All |
| Genevieve Daftary, MD | Codman Square Health Center |
| Charles C. Daniels Jr. Ph.D., M.Div., LICSW, LISW-S, LCSW | Fathers’ Uplift |
| Laura Duff, BSN, RN, DNP | Towns of Needham and Carlisle |
| Damaris Frias, MA | Centro de Apoyo Familiar |
| Cristina Gago, PhD, MPH | Boston University School of Public Health |
| Cherise Hamblin, MD | UMass Memorial Health Doula Program Patients R Waiting |
| Cindy Horgan, M.Ed | Cape Cod Children’s Place |
| Alexandria Jones | Vital Village Networks |
| Kira Kim, IBCLC | The Boston Area Lactation Consultant |
| Elise Laflamme, MD, IBCLC | Greater Lawrence Family Health Center |
| Olivia Lara-Cahoon, RN | Town of Amherst |
| Asmae Lichir | Parent Advocate Yale University Graduate Student |
| Meg Manning, MA | Children’s Trust |
| Jessica Martin, MD | Boston Children's Hospital Primary Care Center |
| Lori McCall, RN, BSN | Lowell General Hospital |
| Isabelle Milne, MSN, RN, CCRN, CNE | Simmons University Brigham and Women’s Hospital |
| Deirdre S. Morrissey, LCSW, CEID | Criterion Heritage Early Intervention Program Welcome Family Springfield Holyoke |
| Shanish Nalubega | Parent Leadership Program |
| Lisa Teixeria, RN, CLC, CEIM | Welcome Family New Bedford |
| Bre’anna Urban | MIECHV Parent Leader |
| Olga Valdman, MD | Worcester RISE for Health UMass Memorial Medical Center |
| Leona Whetzel | Making Opportunity Count |
State Team Representatives
| Member | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Danielle Biggins, MS | Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program |
| Stephanie Doyle, MS | Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition |
| Christine Silva, MPH | Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program |
Program Support Team
| Member | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Phoebe Flynn, LICSW | Public Consulting Group |
| Claribel Martinez | Public Consulting Group |
| Grace-Rebecca Mecha | Public Consulting Group |
| Elise P. Memmo, LICSW, MPH | Public Consulting Group |
| Emma Trucks, MPH | Public Consulting Group |