12.22.11 “It was a learning, educational experience.  It’s been a great experience.” PARISIA SPEARS Parisia Spears did not just want to be a good mother. She wanted to be a great one.

After becoming pregnant with son Kedrick Sims Jr. last year, Spears read child development books and enrolled in the Nurse-Family Partnership, a state program that pairs registered nurses with first-time mothers who are eligible for Medicaid.

Chatty and chubby at 11 months, Kedrick is thriving through his mother’s care and the advice of a visiting nurse, who comes to Spears’ Baker home twice a month to check on their progress.