Healthy Start

The Healthy Start Program is an initiative that assures that pregnant women and young children ages 0-3 years in Florida have access to prenatal and child health care and services necessary for mother and infants to have healthier outcomes.

Florida law mandates that all pregnant women be offered the Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screening at their first prenatal visit and the Healthy Start Infant risk screening before leaving the birthing facility. Based on the responses from these screens the following services are offered:

• Care Coordination - Determining needs of mother, infant or child. Referrals to appropriate agencies.
• Nutrition Counseling - Diet counseling provided to women who are either underweight or overweight during pregnancy.
• Psychosocial counseling - Provide counseling sessions for dealing with relationship problems, depression etc.
• Parenting support - Classes provided on infant and child health, safety and nutrition.
• Childbirth Education - Classes offered on labor and delivery, relaxation and comfort measures.
• Breastfeeding education and support - Classes offered on advantages techniques and benefits.
• Smoking cessation counseling - Classes or sessions offered on ways to discontinue smoking and the dangers of second hand smoke.

These services are provided by various providers in the community in partnership with the Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County.

The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County Healthy Start Data Management Office is responsible for processing and monitoring the accuracy of the Healthy Start risk screening forms and distributing the screens to the various Healthy Start Providers. In addition this office is responsible for receiving and processing all of the service forms that are submitted by all of the providers and coordinating the services that are provided throughout the county.

For more information please contact (813) 307-8016 by phone and 813-975-2119 by fax or email us for more info.