Healthy Start

Prenatal and Infant Health Care Program

Services:

Services provided for pregnant women and children up to age three:

• Care coordination

• Breast-feeding education and support

• Nutrition counseling

• Childbirth education (Spanish and Creole languages)

• Parenting education and support

• Smoking cessation counseling

• Follow-up of substance exposed newborns

• Field nursing and home visits

• Monitor and evaluate rates of infant mortality, low birth weight and other indicators

How do I Qualify?

Your doctor, midwife or nurse will review your answers to the screening form to find out if you need extra help during your pregnancy.  The program is voluntary and available to all Florida residents.  You will not lose any current services if you choose to participate.  Eligibility is based on your screening score, not on financial factors.   

What is the Healthy Start Screening?

It is just a short form you complete with your prenatal provider in a private setting.  It will ask you questions about you and your health...anything that could affect the health of your baby.  
YOUR ANSWERS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.

All Healthy Start services are free. All you have to do is say "YES"
to the Healthy Start Screening Form.

What services are provided?

A Healthy Start Care Coordinator will help your arrange a variety of services, if needed, to help you have a healthy baby:

• Help Making Doctor Appointments

• Childbirth Classes

• Nutrition Education

• Breastfeeding Support

• Help to Quit Smoking

• Parenting Support & Education

• Counseling Services

• Family Planning

• Coordination of Other Community Services

• Home Visits by Health Professionals

Healthy Start services can help you have a healthy baby.  Ask for a free screening today to see if you qualify.   Give your baby the best start in life...a Healthy Start.

How can the Healthy Start program make a difference?  

Good nutrition, healthy habits, and a positive state of mind for the new mom are important for a healthy baby.  Each year too many babies are born early and unhealthy.

After Your Baby After Your Baby Is Born

Our Infant Program can continue to help throughout your baby's first year of life.  Be sure to ask to have your baby screened for Healthy Start Services at the hospital.  The birth of your baby is wonderful and scary at the same time.  The Healthy Start Infant Program can help you be the best parent you can be!

You and Your Baby Deserve the Best!

Healthy Start offers you much needed extra help at a time when you may be feeling overwhelmed.  Your Healthy Start nurse or social worker is your personal resource to call any time.  And all the Healthy start services are FREE!

Some babies are born unhealthy because of...

• little or no prenatal care

• poor prenatal nutrition

• smoking while pregnant

• use of drugs or alcohol

• mother's poor health

Unhealthy babies are more likely to have...

• longer hospital stays

• developmental delays

• learning problems

• health problems

Contacts:

Please note: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.