The Healthy Start program was launched in 1991 to mobilize and coordinate community resources and to demonstrate effective approaches for reducing infant mortality. The program's three goals are: to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in access to and use of health services, to improve local health-care systems, and to increase consumer and community participation in health-care decisions. The following resources offer information on the Healthy Start program and its effectiveness, including State and local examples.
Federal Healthy Start Initiative: A National Network for Effective Home Visitation and Family Support Services (PDF - 2,020 KB)
National Healthy Start Association (2010)
Summarizes the history of and core services provided by the Healthy Start Initiative and, in light of recent health-care legislation, reviews the key role it can play in improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Pilot Evaluation of a Home Visit Parent Training Program in Disadvantaged Families
Leung & Tsang & Heung (2013)
Research on Social Work Practice, 23(4)
Reviews the pilot evaluation and resulting promising outcomes of the Healthy Start Home Visit Program for disadvantaged Chinese parents with preschool children, delivered by trained parent assistants to make services more accessible to disadvantaged families.
State and local examples
Baltimore Healthy Start
Describes the Healthy Start program in Baltimore City, highlights program services, and details the positive impact of service delivery.
District of Columbia Healthy Start Project
District of Columbia Department of Health
Provides a brief summary of the Health Start program, services provided, demographics served, and how programs can join the consortium.
Healthy Start
Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Division of Maternal, Child and Family Health
Highlights the Healthy Start program in Philadelphia, including information on services provided, community resource centers, and contact information and links to providers to request services.
Healthy Start of Oregon 2006-2007 Status Report (PDF - 1,470 KB)
Green, Tarte, Snoddy, Lambarth, Warren, & Nuzzo (2008)
Discusses the activities of Healthy Start of Oregon, including information on program implementation, service delivery, and outcomes for children and families in the program.
Healthy Start of Oregon, Annual Report on Maltreatment Prevention 2006-07 (PDF - 503 KB)
Green, Lambarth, Tarte, & Snoddy (2008)
Presents data on reported child maltreatment among families participating in Oregon's Healthy Start program, as well as data on families who were not served through Healthy Start.
Syracuse Healthy Start Program
Onondaga County Health Department
Provides a brief overview of the Healthy Start Program in Syracuse, NY, and links to newsletters that share family stories.