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Georgia Strong Families

A healthy start program

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About Us

History

The Georgia Strong Families program is a Healthy Start Initiative. Healthy Start programs like ours are community-driven and serve underserved populations.

WHAT is Healthy Start?

  • Healthy Start is a federal program that began in 1991 dedicated to reducing disparities in maternal and infant health status in high risk communities.
  • Healthy Start supports women by addressing their health and social service needs, strengthening family resilience, and engaging community partners to enhance systems of care.
  • Healthy Start works to assure access to culturally competent, family-centered and comprehensive health and social services for women, infants and their families.
  • Healthy Start works in communities with infant mortality rates at least 1.5 times the national average, and high rates of low birth weight, preterm birth, and maternal mortality.

Since its beginning in 1991, Healthy Start has served thousands of families. Healthy Start currently funds 100 organizations in 37 states and DC, including health departments, community-based organizations, health centers and universities.

For more information about the Healthy Start Initiative, visit www.nationalhealthystart.org

In 2019, The Georgia Department of Public Health was awarded funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through its Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health. These funds supported the creation of the Georgia Strong Families Program (GSFP) here in Columbus, GA.

Muscogee County was targeted because:

  1. The area consistently has higher infant mortality rates (10.7%) than the rest of the state (7.2%)
  2. There is a significant difference in infant mortality rates of blacks and whites in the area.
  3. Additionally, 25% of the population in this area lives at or below the poverty line.

Georgia Strong Families program provides services to at least 350 pregnant women, new mothers, infants and fathers across the county each year. We work diligently to decrease infant mortality in Muscogee County by empowering women and their families to reduce the challenges they face that threaten their health and prevent healthy birth outcomes.

Georgia Strong Families is a grant funded program through 2024.


Our Curriculums

Parents As Teachers

Parents as Teachers is an evidence-based, home visiting curriculum that promotes optimal early development, learning, and health of young children by supporting and engaging their parents and caregivers.

PROGRAM BENEFITS:

  • Education is conveniently provided in the family’s home or another location of their choice
  • Engaging educational information that is adapted to meet a family’s needs
  • Developmentally appropriate activities that encourages movement, play, and exploration at each visit
  • Parent Educators provide guidance in goal setting and provide parents with information on how to detect developmental delays
  • Monthly Group Connections provide support and networking through group meetings

Partners for a Healthy Baby

Partners for a Healthy Baby is a research-based, practice-informed curriculum that promotes improving birth outcomes, strengthening families, enhancing child health and developmental outcomes, and promoting economic self-sufficiency.

PROGRAM BENEFITS:

  • Education is provided in group sessions that aid in expanding a family’s circle of support
  • Relevant information based on the woman’s stage of pregnancy
  • More than one hundred topics for prenatal families that such as fetal development, nutrition, labor and delivery, postpartum depression, infant care, safe sleep practices, and breastfeeding
  • Prepare parents with the knowledge and skills needed to care for their baby
  • Monthly Group Connections provide support and networking through group meetings

About Georgia Strong Families

The Georgia Strong Families Program is a Healthy Start Initiative focused on improving health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy and encourage healthy birth outcomes for families here in Muscogee County.

Tell Me More about Home

Preconception Project

GSF’s Preconception project aims to work with women in Muscogee County to improve their own health, promote family planning, and empower their success.

Tell Me Moreabout Home

Fatherhood Initiative

Having an active, involved father can greatly affect a child’s cognitive and social development. The Georgia Strong Families (GSF) Fatherhood Initiative truly believes that men do not have to be a “Super Dad” to be a Great Dad!

Tell Me Moreabout Home

LENA Start

The purpose of LENA Start is to promote the wellness of young children ages birth to 3 years old by addressing the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of their development.

Tell Me Moreabout Home

MORE INFORMATION

Get in Touch

Contact Georgia Strong Families at

706.321.6322

Georgia Strong Families

Columbus Health Department

5601 Veterans Pkwy

Columbus, Georgia 31904

This website is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number HRSA-19-049 Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. ©2020 Georgia Strong Families. All rights reserved.