NEST Program Helps Welcome Babies To Mountain State

The Newborn Essentials Support Toolkit (NEST) program provides newborn essential support kits and trusted information for families, especially those in rural and underserved communities.  

Gov. Patrick Morrisey was at WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital in Morgantown Friday to announce that West Virginia would be the first state in the nation to distribute the kits. He said West Virginia wants to make sure children get a healthy start to life.  

“Kids who are born, they’re the most precious from zero to six. What a difference it makes if you can actually help them develop, help ensure that they’re healthier, and that we’re doing the little things to make their lives a little bit easier, their moms’ lives just a little bit easier,” Morrisey said. “That can be tremendous because so many benefits flow to our citizens when kids start off right and they’re healthy and we’re on top of it.”  

The program will distribute 2,000 kits with more than 20 newborn and postpartum essentials including diapers, a thermometer, a book, and information for new parents through local providers, including WVU Medicine Children’s. 

NEST is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that brings together public and private partners to support mothers and babies during the critical period surrounding childbirth. Approximately 2,000 kits are expected to be delivered to West Virginia families during this phase of the program. 

“We’re really excited about all the work that HHS, that the CDC Foundation is doing, and some of the private donors that stepped up to really make this happen,” Morrisey said. “This program is going to be funded through a variety of different sources. It’s not involving state taxpayer dollars, but we’re excited to be the first state to launch it, and I think it could be really beneficial.” 

The governor expressed his desire to use the program to engage in a broader discussion about investing in infants and mothers. 

“What we’re doing today is part of that but also should be part of a broader discussion about the importance of good OB/GYN care and good care for babies when they’re born,” Morrisey said. “It sickens me that there have been some OB/GYN sites that have been closed down. I’m hopeful that in the upcoming weeks there may be some announcements we could make about birthing centers and OB/GYN and things that could turn it around.” 

Morrisey was joined by Thomas Engels, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

“We’re releasing $5 million nationally for these newborn essential support toolkits that you see here today,” Engles said. “This is so important to so many young mothers across the country. But here in West Virginia and in rural areas, it’s vitally important because, as the governor mentioned, that first start and those first few days are so important. That mom needs to focus on so many things. Being a new mom is scary. Being a new father is scary, and when you bring that child home, you just want to be able to focus on that.”