What is Healthy Start?
The Georgia Strong Families program is a Healthy Start Initiative. Healthy Start programs like ours are community-driven and serve underserved populations.
Federal Healthy Start Initiative
A healthy start for every baby begins with a healthy mother. The Healthy Start program works to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy. Focus:
- Localized solutions tailored to each community’s specific needs
- Connecting families with culturally sensitive and comprehensive health services
- Access to community health education
- Ensuring that social and health services are well coordinated
History of Healthy Start
- Healthy Start began in 1991 to address disparities in health outcomes among minority and low-income populations.
- The focus is on providing community-driven and culturally appropriate services, including prenatal care, health education, and supportive services to pregnant women and new moms.
- Healthy Start also addresses the social determinants of health, such as poverty, lack of education, and inadequate health care.
- Beginning in 2019, Healthy Start expanded services to include father involvement and recognizing the importance of paternal support in maternal and child health programs.
- The current initiative continues to focus on communities with the highest rate of infant mortality and communities that are at risk for poor maternal outcomes.
For more information about the Healthy Start Initiative, visit www.nationalhealthystart.org
Healthy Start Success
Healthy Start has been credited with improving access to prenatal care, improving breastfeeding rates, and reducing low birth weight and preterm births. There are over 100 Healthy Start Sites in the United States, and 6 Sites are located here in Georgia.
- Center for Black Women’s Wellness – Atlanta, GA
- Mercer University – Macon, GA
- Southside Medical Center – College Park, GA
- Laurens Board of Health- Dublin, GA
- WellStar Health System- Lagrange, GA
- GA State University/West Central Health District
In 2019, funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through its Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health supported the creation of the Georgia Strong Families Program (GSFP). Georgia Strong Families is a grant funded program through 2029.
Home Visiting/Case Management
Now serving the following counties: Clay, Crisp, Dooly, Muscogee, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, and Taylor. Learn how we serve your community.
Preconception Project
GSF’s Preconception Project aims to work with individuals to improve their own health, promote family planning, and empower their success.
Fatherhood Initiative
Having an active, involved father can greatly affect a child’s cognitive and social development. You do not have to be a “Super Dad” to be a Great Dad!