A nonprofit organization is launching a pilot program for pregnant women dealing with addiction, aimed at improving birth outcomes and decreasing the number of infants entering foster care.
New Mexico Appleseed, in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Health and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, will launch the initiative next spring.
Jennifer Ramo, founder and executive director of New Mexico Appleseed, said the program is designed to intervene in what she called the “fentanyl and drug use in the foster care pipeline.” Because substance exposure affects infants at birth, they often face either removal into foster care or unsafe conditions at home, she said.
The New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department reported that more than two dozen drug-exposed newborns have died after leaving hospitals with their parents.
The pilot program will support 15 pregnant women in their first trimester who receive care at UNM’s Milagro Clinic and FOCUS Family Clinic. Participants will receive $250 each week for maintaining clean drug screens during their pregnancy and for up to one year after childbirth.
More than cash payments
Ramo said the model is based on research showing that immediate rewards after a clean drug screen can support recovery. However, she clarified that the program offers more than financial incentives.
In addition to treatment support, the 20-month program will provide services focused on stabilizing families, including prenatal care, housing support, food assistance, job training, and financial literacy resources.
Ramo said comprehensive economic, addiction, and prenatal support from the first trimester through postpartum may provide the solution to keeping mothers and their babies safe.
State funding
State health officials are funding the program with $450,000. Organizers said they intend the small-scale launch to test the model’s effectiveness and identify necessary improvements before any long-term expansion.
Ramo said the long-term goal is to demonstrate that addressing addiction and poverty together can lead to healthier babies, more stable families, and fewer foster care placements.
