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
Miami-Dade.
The Miami-Dade County Health Department 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 305-278-1074 by phone and 305-234-2263 by fax.
Our address is:
Miami-Dade County Health Department
Healthy Start Data Management Office
West Perrine Health Center
18255 Homestead Avenue
Miami, Florida 33157
