What is Healthy Start

The Healthy Start Initiative is a dynamic affiliate program for Harris County Public Health. The program strives to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in Harris County and reduce health disparities by providing comprehensive, community-driven care and support to high-risk populations.

For More information Contact Us:

Phone: 713-368-MOMS (6667)
Email: [email protected]

Business Hours:
Monday 8 AM–5 PM
Tuesday 8 AM–5 PM
Wednesday 8 AM–5 PM
Thursday 8 AM–5 PM
Friday 8 AM–5 PM
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed

How the Program Works

This program intends to provide the following resources:

  • Health coverage enrollment options
  • Prenatal and well-child visits linkages
  • Physical and mental health education access
  • Expectant mothers/fathers/partners/caregivers workshops
  • Wrap-around services/education/support
  • Non-medical issue assistance
    • Food insecurity
    • Housing/transportation instability
    • Domestic violence
    • Basic Needs Assistance

Eligibility

To participate in the Healthy Start Program, Harris County community members must be:

  • Birthing persons of reproductive age, currently pregnant, recently delivered within the last 18 months, or in the interconception period (in between pregnancies)
  • Parent or caregiver for an infant or child under 18 months
  • Father/partner with infants under 18 months
  • Infant under 18 months
  • Must reside within the 14 targeted zip codes:
    • 77002
    • 77013
    • 77017
    • 77026
    • 77028
    • 77029
    • 77032
    • 77034
    • 77045
    • 77046
    • 77061
    • 77075
    • 77090
    • 77507

Healthy Start Initiative

It is a voluntary and free service addressing the unique needs of participants in Harris County.

By offering comprehensive services, including linkages to prenatal care, parenting education, and community referrals, Healthy Start aims to reduce health disparities and promote healthy development for children. Through collaboration with local organizations and dedicated health professionals, the program fosters a supportive environment that empowers families to thrive.

Assistance and Referrals to Support Services: The program will offer information and assistance in finding prenatal/perinatal linkages for participants and resource navigation for families. We will help facilitate warm handoffs to partnership services and providers to minimize disruptions and enhance the continuity of ongoing care.

Family Bonding Workshops/Groups: The program connects families to group-based health and parenting education through interactive learning and community building for participants.

Family Support: We recognize the emotional well-being and often complicated dynamics during and after pregnancy. We are committed to forming a collection of community influencers to address the social determinants of health while helping families mitigate issues that may occur during and after pregnancy.

Personalized Case Management Services: We have trained professionals providing continuing assistance that targets key health indicators, addressing non-medical factors that affect health, and utilizing HCPH’s organizational expertise in offering improved access to care intended to reduce infant/maternal mortality.

For Expecting Fathers and What You Should Know

Historically, fathers have not always been recognized as having an integral role in a healthy growing family unit during the birthing process. The role of the expectant father and the significance of paternal impact on birthing outcomes are often overlooked. The resilience of a family structure is often correlated with the protective factor evident by a father’s involvement.
Defining male involvement during pregnancy is important as support for birthing mothers while helping to improve birth outcomes. While addressing issues in the birthing process will always be rooted in providing the proper tools and guidance, the program also wants to make sure that the fathers/partners of Harris County are properly educated and engaged.  
According to the CDC, studies have suggested that men are less likely than are women to seek health care services and are more likely to engage in higher risk health behaviors. The time after the birth of the child presents an opportunity for fathers to increase attention to their own health alongside the family unit; this directly influences the role they can play in supporting their families’ overall health and well-being.  

We want create opportunities for men to engage in their own health, as well as their child’s health over time. 

expecting-fathers-graph

Figure 1. Percent of expectant fathers interested in learning more about topics related to health behaviors, pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting in early development.

As studies have shown when given the opportunity, expectant fathers are often eager to discuss and be included in pregnancy and prenatal education. In kind, HCPH will ensure the creation of father-friendly environments that respect the diverse needs, and provide insights, tools, and best practices to guide their steps.

Key takeaways:

  • Be present with the expecting mother/child as much as possible: Attend prenatal doctor visits, attend to the mother’s needs, familiarize yourself with pregnancy education, prepare for the birth, learn how to properly hold your baby through skin-to-skin contact, and talk to them, give the mother time to attend to other duties (child-rearing, personal, professional, etc.), and discuss parenting styles well in advance.
  • That includes co-parenting too! Even as separate individuals, you must present yourselves as a unified front and support team when dealing with the child’s health and life balance.
  • Personal health, diet, fitness, and looking after your mental health are just as important to the father as they are to the mother as you prepare for parenthood. Maintain healthy practices and activity routines to help fuel the stamina needed for fatherhood.
  • Clean and “baby-proof” living areas, acquire newborn furniture and car seats, learn meal preparation, etc.
  • Connect emotionally with your partner using sympathetic contact. Connect with other close ones who can serve as resources and be a support system. Spend quality time with your child to form a natural bond over time (pampers, swaddling, eye contact, etc.), and consider counseling as necessary.
  • Learn and find resources to help aid in your personal financial literacy and life planning, practice budgeting, firmly set a framework to maintain your work/life balance, consider a savings account for the child’s future, make sure financial and nonfinancial tasks are in order (life policies, hospital information, legal documents, child support, visitation, and custody planning, etc.)
  • Celebrate the milestones like first words, first doctor visit, first steps, etc. Consider clearing space and keeping albums/journals to document the journey as every day is potentially a new day of firsts!

Toolkits