Family-Centered Care Taskforce

Erika is an integral member of our Executive Council and the driving force of many family-centered initiatives at CMKC that our membership has also benefitted from, including Say This, Not That. We’re honored to work alongside you and are grateful for your expertise, Erika!

This month, our Family Partner Spotlight shines on Erika Mendence! Erika is NICU parent of Birdie and Patient & Family Engagement Specialist at Children’s Mercy Kansas City.

FCC Taskforce - Monthly Polls & Responses FCC Taskforce Monthly Polls & Responses To submit questions for future polls or to share information addressing past polls, please email us at familycenteredcaretaskforce@gmail.com February 2026: Help...

View all poll responses here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Many barriers to this FCC practice exist, including lack of leadership buy-in, lack of staff knowledge, and lack of proper equipment (aEEG, cooling mat, etc.). If you would like free resources to help you unit overcome these challenges, please email us at familycenteredcaretaskforce@gmail.com!

In case you missed our email, January Poll results are in! We asked about your unit's experience with holding during cooling for infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

Annie Jacobson, MS, CCLS, CAHP will share her insights and expertise followed by an opportunity for Q&A on Thursday, February 19th at 11am PT/2pm EST.

Become a member to register - it's free! stanforduniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Join us for a short presentation on implementing Child Life services in the NICU, which are essential for supporting the developmental, emotional, and psychosocial needs of NICU babies and their families.

Happy Feeding Tube Awareness Week! This month, we’re asking for you to help us support NICUs working toward advancing safe & effective discharge pathways for infants requiring home nasogastric (NG) tube feeding. stanforduniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Save the date for our March 12th Webinar! This event is free and open to all - become an FCC Taskforce member to receive a calendar invite with Zoom link! stanforduniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Survey participation is voluntary and confidential. The results may be used in workshop proceedings and future presentations or publications.

Calling all NICU families!

We invite you to take a brief survey to provide feedback for an upcoming workshop about shared language for infants born at <25 weeks’ gestation.

Survey link:
uthtmc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

It's here! Download the PDF of our Winter Newsletter to access links, print and post in your unit, and share with your colleagues: drive.google.com/file/d/1wJIo...

If you’ve had a NICU journey and have a few minutes, we would be grateful for your perspective.
🕊️ Voluntary
🕊️ Anonymous
🕊️ No impact on care
👉 www.surveymonkey.com/.../parents-....
Thank you for helping ensure that future innovations are grounded in family voice.

This survey isn’t about changing care.
It’s about listening.

Feeding decisions in the NICU are deeply personal, emotional, and shaped by each baby’s unique needs. Parents hold wisdom that deserves to be heard before new ideas are developed further.

We’re in the final days of a short, anonymous survey exploring an emerging idea in neonatal nutrition:
whether a small portion of a parent’s own milk could be gently concentrated and used to fortify the rest of the milk — keeping feeding fully human-milk–based.

We look forward to connecting and learning with you there!

The FCC Taskforce will be attending National Perinatal Association’s 2026 Conference, Uniting for Impact: Advancing Rural-Urban Collaboration and Innovation in Perinatal and Infant Health from March 25-27th in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho! www.npaconference.org

This opportunity strengthens our ability to collaborate, lead meaningful change, and elevate family-centered care across NICUs.

We truly appreciate VON’s commitment to learning, partnership, and improving outcomes for babies and families everywhere.

A heartfelt thank you to the @vtoxfordnetwork.bsky.social for generously providing the Family-Centered Care Taskforce’s Executive Council of Family Partners access to the Quality Improvement Foundations Course.

🔍 Parents and primary caregivers of preterm born children under 18 years are invited to take part in an anonymous online questionnaire.

🔗 More about the BronQ Family project: www.gfcni.org/research/bro...

🎯The main goal is to understand how Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) affects families over time. Key areas of focus include physical and emotional health, social relationships, daily functioning, as well as financial and medical challenges.

U.S. participation in the BRONQ Family Study is currently low. The goal is to collect 120 U.S. parent responses, but as of the most recent data check, only 43 responses have been submitted.

Take Action | Voices for Virginia's Children

Join us in supporting Paid Family and Medical Leave for Virginians! Signing onto the petition takes less than 60 seconds:
www.votervoice.net/Shares/BnRpG...

We invite you to share your unit’s experience with holding during cooling for infants with HIE (hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy) to support others as they seek to implement this practice.

stanforduniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

FCC Taskforce - Monthly Polls & Responses FCC Taskforce Monthly Polls & Responses To submit questions for future polls or to share information addressing past polls, please email us at familycenteredcaretaskforce@gmail.com December 2025: Help...

For more information on how many respondents are offering books in multiple languages and whether/how NICUs are tracking reading sessions, click here:
docs.google.com/document/d/1...

FCC Taskforce - Monthly Polls & Responses FCC Taskforce Monthly Polls & Responses To submit questions for future polls or to share information addressing past polls, please email us at familycenteredcaretaskforce@gmail.com December 2025: Help...

Last month, we asked you to share your unit’s experience with a formal reading program. Reading to babies in the NICU offers important clinical benefits, including supporting neurodevelopment and strengthening parent–infant bonding and attachment.

Did you miss our November 13th Webinar on supporting families after a co-twin baby loss and nurturing and being nurtured with NIDCAP Federation International? We summarized it for you! Read the full article here: drive.google.com/file/d/1YJG6...

Their insights into breaking down professional silos and supporting NICU fathers and non-birthing parents are deeply meaningful, and we hope you’ll watch and share our recording of their talks: