With nearly 3,000 pregnancy and infant losses in Florida this past year, 41 of those in Leon and Wakulla County, we understand how crucial it is to have access to resources during pregnancy and early childhood. Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition is here to support new and expecting parents by providing various services, updating you with the latest resources, and actively working to reduce the infant mortality rate in our local community.
Here’s how you can begin your journey to a healthy start:
- The first step is saying yes to a prenatal risk screen from your healthcare provider. These screenings are done to see if any risks could possibly impact you from having a healthy pregnancy or healthy baby. No matter your healthcare provider or what stage you’re at in your pregnancy, this screening should be completed.
- Following the prenatal risk screen, the choice to enroll in Healthy Start is yours. Healthy Start is here to educate and support pregnant women or those in the early years of parenthood. All our services and programs are completely free and tailored to best fit your needs and journey.
- Once you enroll in Healthy Start, you will be connected with one of our care coordinators, who will customize our services to meet your needs. Due to COVID-19, we currently offer digital meetings but will resume in-person meetings once it is safe to do so. Your care coordinator is provided to keep you on track to a healthy pregnancy. Services offered include:
- Pregnancy health education
- Nutrition education
- Childbirth preparation
- Breastfeeding education and support
- New baby care
- Parenting education and support
- Help to quit smoking
- Stress management and emotional support
- General support and referrals to community programs
- Along with support from Healthy Start, we are here to connect parents and caregivers with other local programs that can best meet their needs. Our CONNECT program functions as a one-stop entry point for needed services during every stage of parenthood. By linking families with community programs, CONNECT creates a referral process that not only streamlines access to services but works to build a larger network of care during early childhood.
The variety of services offered by Healthy Start work to ensure you have the best possible birth outcome and start to life with your baby. Whether you are an expecting mother, single father, grandparent, or caregiver, Healthy Start is here to support you and your new family during this journey. We encourage everyone to say YES to a prenatal risk screen and take the steps to a healthy start.
