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Healthy Start

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Healthy Start Brochure - English

Healthy Start Brochure - Spanish


GIF animation What is the safest way to sleep? Graphic showing an infant should sleep alone, on their backs, in a crib.

What Services Are Provided?

The goal of the Healthy Start program is to give every baby a healthy start in life by ensuring moms receive prenatal care early, babies are born healthy, and infants and toddlers develop and thrive.

Funded by the Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands, and Polk counties, the Florida Department of Health coordinates care for women throughout their pregnancies, for postpartum women up to 18 months following their delivery, as well as for infants and toddlers (up to age 3).

Healthy Start care coordinators make home visits to provide families with the following services:

  • Breastfeeding education and support
  • Childbirth education and infant massage by certified staff
  • Family planning education and services
  • Health education in English and Spanish
  • Depression screenings and referrals for mental health counseling
  • Parenting education
  • Smoking cessation
  • Safe sleep

Healthy Start Coalition promotes safe sleep practices for infants. Remember your ABCs:

  • Alone: Infants should sleep alone with no other items with them.
  • Back: Infants should be placed on their backs.
  • Crib: Infants should sleep in their crib.

Beds 4 Babies

The Beds 4 Babies project consists of two components:

  • Public awareness and education campaign
  • Distribution of portable cribs to eligible families to provide a safe place for babies to sleep

The Beds 4 Babies project promotes infant safety by educating parents on the need for safe sleep practices. The project works directly with families most in need, and Healthy Start staff accepts referrals from community organizations and local medical providers.

For more information, contact us using the information in the top right.

T.E.A.M. Dad

Our Fatherhood Initiative

Many new fathers struggle to figure out their role when their wife or partner has a baby. Our new fatherhood program offers education, training, and support to help men become responsible, engaged, and empowered fathers their children need them to be.

Our program can help with:

  • Parenting and co-parenting education
  • Improving child development
  • Building healthy family and community relationships
  • Workforce development and economic stability
  • Personal development

Helpful Resources