Healthy Start is a voluntary statewide prevention program that can help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy child. Healthy Start offers support and care to pregnant women, their infants and their families. The goal of Healthy Start is to reduce infant mortality, reduce the number of low-birth-weight babies, and improve health and developmental outcomes in children. Healthy Start strives to give every baby a healthy start in life by ensuring that moms receive prenatal care early, babies are born healthy, and infants and toddlers develop and thrive.

Who is eligible:

  • Any pregnant woman who lives in Florida
  • Any child 0 – 3 years old
How do I enroll?

Complete a Healthy Start screening form during your initial prenatal check up and when your baby is born at the hospital. Your answers will let us know if we can help you and then you will let us know if you would like to participate in the program. You can also self-refer!

Healthy Start Care Coordinators make home visits to provide families with the following services:

  • Depression Screenings/Referrals for Mental Health Counseling
  • Emotional Support and Counseling
  • Developmental Screenings
  • Family Planning Counseling and Education
  • Baby Safety
  • Newborn Baby Care
  • Breastfeeding Education, Support, and Resources
  • Prenatal and Parenting Education
  • Community Resource Information
  • Smoking Cessation Education/Referrals
  • E.A.M. Dad Referrals
  • Incentives for baby for participation

Safe Sleep Practices

Remember your ABC’s of Safe Sleep:

  • Alone: Infants should sleep alone with no other items.
  • Back: Infants should be placed on their back to sleep.
  • Crib: Infants should sleep in their crib/safe sleeping arrangement.

The Healthy Start Coalition of Jefferson, Madison, and Taylor Counties contract with the Florida Department of Health in Madison County to provide care coordination services to Healthy Start clients in Madison County.

Healthy Start is a voluntary program and is not income based. Healthy Start services are free of charge.

For information regarding this program, please call 850-601-6181.