Healthy Start
Healthy Start begins with preconception planning and includes prenatal care, postpartum care, delivery, infant care and targeted support services that address identified risks.
Healthy Start offers universal screening for all Florida pregnant women and infants to ensure that early care is targeted to those families where there is the best chance of preventing or minimizing adverse outcomes. Healthy Start was signed into Florida law on June 4, 1991.
The range of Healthy Start services available to identified women and infants include:
- Information and referral
- Comprehensive assessment of service needs with consideration of family and community resources
- Ongoing care coordination and support to assure access to needed services
- Preconception Education (228kb PPT)
- Childbirth, breastfeeding and parenting support and education
- Psychosocial, nutritional and smoking cessation counseling
- Home Visiting
The Hendry County Health Departments have a partnership with the Lee Physician Group: Lee OB/GYN Associates provide prenatal care in Hendry County. Prenatal care is available at the Hendry County Health Departments’ locations in LaBelle on Tuesdays and Clewiston on Thursdays. Early Prenatal Care is important for every pregnancy!
Healthy Start Coalitions cover the state to ensure local leadership and planning for a system of care, to promote optimum health outcomes for pregnant women and infants.
The Healthy Start Coalition of Southwest Florida provides funding for prenatal care and care coordination services in Hendry County.
The toll-free Family Health Line, 1-800-451-BABY, provides statewide information and referral to the general public as a way of increasing access to prenatal and infant care.
For more information on Florida’s Healthy Start visit the Florida Department of Health's Web site.
