N.J. first lady tackles maternal and infant health care in Mini Family Festivals

New Jersey’s first lady Tammy Murphy launched the first of her Mini Family Festival series Thursday morning. As part of her Nurture NJ initiative, the Mini Family Festivals are aimed at connecting families with state, county, and local programs and resources that address New Jersey’s maternal and infant health crisis.

The festivals will be held at hospitals and federally qualified health centers throughout the state in order to connect with more people already being seen by some of the providers.

“Our Mini Family Festival series aims to take our approach a step further and meet mothers and families in trusted locations they access frequently, like hospitals and health care centers. Transportation is a major social determinant of health and by bringing a combination of resources to these targeted locations, we are enabling our mothers and babies to receive comprehensive care and critical information all in one location,” Tammy Murphy said.

The events will be held over the next several months in partnership with Capital Health, CAMcare, Horizon NJ Health, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, and more. All events will be open to the general public while sessions with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission mobile unit are only for those that register prior to the event.

The next event will be held Wednesday, June 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at CAMcare in Paulsboro, you can register online. The following event will be held Wednesday, July 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at CAMcare in Clementon, for which you can also register online.

Before the pandemic, Tammy Murphy held seven large-scale family festivals impacting more than 5,500 families.