John Nafsiger, executive director of Child Health Partnership, told the Charlottesville City Council on Sept. 15 that the program has maintained staff continuity and positive outcomes but is dealing with rising client needs and a decline in state funding relative to inflation.
Nafsiger said Child Health Partnership pairs registered nurses and family-support specialists with families to remove barriers to care and promote early-childhood development. He noted that enrolled children have nearly universal medical homes and high rates of up-to-date immunizations after program participation.
Explaining the program’s focus, Nafsiger said one important framing statistic: “children have about 2000 days between when they're born and when they get to kindergarten,” and that home visits allow staff to build trusting relationships that address transportation, childcare and other barriers to care.
Program data cited by Nafsiger show that of families enrolled last year, 65 percent reported food insecurity at intake and 30 percent had moved at least twice in the prior year; after one year of services, the share of families that had moved two or more times fell to 12 percent, and the share of children who needed medical care but did not receive it fell to 3 percent.
Nafsiger described a 35th-anniversary celebration planned for Oct. 19 and said Child Health Partnership has expanded peer-support parenting groups in partnership with the Women’s Health Initiative; three groups served about 40 parents in the last year.
On funding, Nafsiger said the program was initially a state-local partnership but now receives just over 20 percent of its funding from the state, an effective decline since 2017 because state support has not increased with inflation. The organization has made up the gap largely through private fundraising and local support; about two-thirds of revenue now comes from government sources (local and state) with private funds covering much of the remainder.
Nafsiger said the program is pursuing a state-level funding increase tied to a research study that would allow the program to qualify as a federally recognized evidence-based model, opening federal funding opportunities. He described the ask as one the organization has pursued for several years and that local support for a legislative request would be helpful.
Councilors asked about wait lists, demand and the nonprofit’s legislative priorities. Nafsiger said recent months produced a small waiting list and that budget remains a concern but that staff continuity and private fundraising have maintained service levels for now.
No formal council action was requested during the presentation; the organization asked the council for continued partnership and said it would provide specific legislative language if the council requested an official item for the legislative agenda.
Taper: Nafsiger said the program will continue to monitor demand and pursue stable state funding to allow program expansion and formal study to unlock federal support.