Thank you for your interest in First Born Program of Los Alamos! We look forward to the opportunity to partner with you in our effort to best serve Los Alamos County. Below are some documents that you might find helpful when working with your families:
FBPLA Referral Form - fillable version here
Assessments Used in Home Visitation – These assessments are conducted throughout the home visitation process.
Why is home visiting important?
Some Facts to Consider on why Home Visiting and Parental Education is important:
For every dollar spent on early childhood support/intervention/education, society saves between $2 – $17 (RAND corporation).
90% of brain development occurs in the first 5 years of life.
As demonstrated by neuro-mapping research, cortisol levels during the brain development alter the neural circuitry in the infant brain, impacting life long learning potential. Any personal perception of stress increases cortisol levels (Urban Child Institute).
Infants and children do not develop complex cognitive processing centers of the brain unless midbrain emotional centers are regulated with consistent sensory input, achieved through consistent, calm engagement with other human beings (Birth to Three Institute).
The amount of brain development experienced by the child is directly related to the amount of positive, sensory stimulation offered by other humans (Birth to Three Institute).
Los Alamos county has a higher rate of low birth weight infants when compared to the other counties in state. Low birth weight is directly linked to high stress pregnancy, suggesting stress management is an issue in this community.
Adverse childhood events or ACE are events such as poverty, neglect, abuse, substance abuse. As the number of ACE increases, the long-term health and productivity decreases. 1 in 4 American children experience an ACE in the first 5 years of their life (CDC).