Our Mission:
To promote the health and well being of mothers, babies, and families in our community
Putting the Pieces Together:
HEALTHY START
works for children
…right from the Start!
HEALTHY START SUCCESS
· Infant mortality—the sentinel indicator of child health and well-being— hit its lowest level in Florida’s history. Infant death rates dropped 20 percent since Healthy Start began in 1991.
FOUNDATION
· Healthy Start is the foundation for early intervention, child protection and school readiness programs.
SERVICES
· Healthy Start screens all pregnant women and newborns
· Identifies mothers and babies at-risk
· Provides mothers and babies with coordinated services
GOOD GOVERNMENT
· Healthy Start is a sound investment for Florida’s children and Florida’s taxpayers.
· A healthy baby saves state tax dollars: for every $1 spent on preventing an unhealthy birth, $6 is saved in neonatal intensive care costs, recurrent hospital and medical expenses paid by Medicaid, exceptional and remedial education, child abuse and neglect investigations, disability and dependency costs.
COMMUNITY COALITIONS
- Communities decide how to spend Healthy Start dollars.
- Healthy Start Coalitions are accountable & responsive to local needs.
HEALTHY START COALITION OF OSCEOLA COUNTY
- For 2007 Osceola County’s infant mortality rate (IMR) dropped to a rate of 7.1 per 1,000 births from 8.1 in 2006. This is the same as the State rate of 7.1.
- The Osceola Hispanic IMR increased from 9.3 in 2006 to 9.6 in 2007.
- Low Birth Weight births of less than 2500 grams decreased from a rate of 9.4 in 2006 to 7.9 in 2007 for Osceola County compared to a State rate of 8.7 in 2007.
- Teen pregnancies increased from a rate of 8.5 in 2006 to 8.6 in 2007 for teens, aged 10 – 17, it remains lower than the rate of 9.1 for the State. For younger teens, aged 10 – 14, pregnancies increased from a rate of .4 in 2006 to .5 in 2007 for Osceola County, remaining lower than the State rate of .7.