The Farm Worker Family Health Program (FWFHP) is a 13-year community partnership model designed to increase delivery of health care services for migrant farm worker families. During a yearly 2-week immersion experience, 90 students and faculty members provide health care services, including physical examinations, health screenings, health education, physical therapy, and dental care for 1,000 migrant farm workers and migrant children. Students and faculty members gain a deeper appreciation of the health and social issues that migrant farm worker families face by providing health care services in the places where migrant families live, work, and are educated. Although the model is not unique, it is significant because of its sustained history, interdisciplinary collaboration among community and academic partners, mutual trust and connections among the partners, and the way the program is tailored to meet the needs of the population served. The principles of social responsibility and leadership frame the FWFHP experience. This community partnership model can be replicated by others working with at-risk populations in low-resource settings.

This article highlights the Farm Worker Family Health Program's (FWFHP) strategies for providing care to migrant farm workers residing within a unique social and cultural context. The care provided by health professions students from a variety of disciplines extends and augments the work of the local migrant farm worker clinic that is pushed beyond capacity during peak growing and harvest times. Nursing's social responsibility to care for underserved populations is a guiding principle of the FWFHP and shapes how the work is translated into action. The FWFHP is a community-academic partnership that began in the rural southeastern United States in 1993. Challenges facing migrant farm worker families include access to health care, language, health literacy, housing and sanitation, family and community integrity, and workplace safety. The nursing practice strategies used to address these health challenges may be adapted to strengthen health programs serving other populations who live in poverty or reside in low-resource settings.