BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services and Woman's Hospital are expanding their partnership to provide more coordinated support to families of substance-exposed newborns, the organizations announced on Tuesday.

Nicole Irvine moved into the role of Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services liaison to Woman's Hospital on Aug. 17. Having a DCFS liaison on site gives both teams a consistent point of contact and helps families get clear information during what can be an overwhelming time.

"Child welfare should not wait for a family to reach the point of crisis before we offer help," said DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris in a prepared statement. "This partnership puts that principle into practice. By working alongside Woman's Hospital, we can connect mothers struggling with substance use to treatment and support while protecting the health and safety of their babies."

Harris said the approach aligns with the national direction set by the Administration for Children and Families to invest earlier in families, prevent unnecessary foster care and keep children safely with their families whenever possible.

"As Louisiana's largest specialty hospital solely dedicated to the care of women and infants, Woman's understands that connecting families with the right agencies and resources they need can make all the difference," said Woman's Executive President and Chief Nursing Officer Cheri Johnson. "We are pleased to strengthen our partnership with DCFS, which will help us identify needs earlier, reduce barriers and provide more coordinated support during some of the most challenging moments families may face."

In 2025, DCFS conducted 1,803 investigations involving substance-exposed newborns statewide. Timely communication between healthcare and child welfare professionals can help families connect with the right support.

Irvine has worked primarily in Child Protective Services and spent the past two years in a supervisory role. She also has experience in foster care and earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Nicholls State University.

Irvine will be on site at Woman's Hospital from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.