Send us a text

This discussion features Dr. Malathi Balasundaram and Morgan Kowalski, leaders of the CHNC Family-Centered Care Task Force, outlining how Family Partnership Councils integrate families as true partners in NICU care, policy development, and quality improvement. Instead of providing feedback after decisions are made, families co-create guidelines and initiatives from the start, promoting empowerment and more meaningful parent presence. They describe barriers such as recruitment, compensation, scheduling, and staff uncertainty, and offer practical strategies including foundation support, transparent role expectations, and diversifying family representation. The Task Force’s webinars, office hours, and survey-driven improvement tools help units build sustainable, equitable, family-centered practices across both NICU and follow-up care settings.

Support the show

As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: [email protected]. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below.

Enjoy!